Confidence
by dsfeo78
Summary: AU Rizzles tale. Established Rizzles relationship. A journey for Jane and Maura as they both find themselves dealing with very different situations. While each must walk some parts of the path alone in the end facing things together may be the only way each will make it to their destinations. Set against the backdrop of the pending Doyle RICO trial.
1. Chapter 1

Confidence

**A/N I have returned with a new tale. Sorry for the delay but life has been just a bit crazy for me lately and it took a bit to find a window where I can keep up with my normal daily postings. (You know how I like to spoil you all)**

**To be honest- I am still trying to process how I feel about the new season- especially S4E4- and I'm not sorted out as of yet. Given that, I'm returning to my Rizzles AU world where I don't need to have all of that figured out and I can just play with the story that is now in my head.**

**This is definitely a Rizzles tale. We start off with the dynamic duo already together and they have been for awhile. This tale can best be described as a personal journey for both Maura and Jane- each separately but as a couple as well. (You'll understand as we progress.) I know it doesn't explain a lot but I can't really say much more without giving too much plot away.**

**So, instead, just sit back and enjoy as the tale unfolds.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own them. I have no rights to anything. I just like to play.**

Chapter One

**con * fi * dence - noun**

1 a: a feeling or consciousness of one's powers or of reliance on one's circumstances

b: faith or belief that one will act in a right, proper or effective way

2: the quality or state of being certain

**con * fi * dence**- adjective

1: of, relating to, or adept at swindling by false promises

R&I

It had been a long day. Slow. Boring. The kind of day Jane absolutely hated because slow in the world of Homicide meant Jane had no choice but to work on the stack of folders that perpetually sat in her 'In' box on her desk. Paperwork. Jane absolutely hated paperwork. Sometimes she felt betrayed that no one ever talked to her about paperwork when she was in the academy. All her instructors seemed to gloss right over the sheer amount of reports and files she was committing to completing when she signed up to be a cop.

She knew of no cop who liked doing paperwork. Most everyone did what she would do. Let folders and case files stack up on their desk until they were forced to deal with them. And once that happened everyone simply spent more time complaining and goofing off than actually working to reduce the pile in their 'In' box.

Jane, Frost and Korsak were no different. All three hated paperwork. All three were doing everything they could to avoid any actual work. They had been pretty successful on this day. Jane spent an hour 'reorganizing' her desk drawers. She saw Frost spent most of his morning creating and folder-tizing all the loose, random documents he had saved on his hard drive. And Korsak, well Korsak spent his time that day surfing the Internet watching YouTube clips of various animal tricks and funny creature features. He got to Internet surf because he outranked Jane and Frost. He had earned the right to have some fun as he avoided his pile of administrative duties.

There was also a rousing hour and a half game of hangman between the three of them that Jane won with relative ease. She needed to remember to thank Maura for expanding her vocabulary. One unexpected benefit of having a genius girlfriend had been her seemingly invincibility in the weekly Hangman challenges the partners would partake to pass some time. Jane might not always understand the words she would use against the guys but they were long and complicated and she was at a distinct advantage.

As the clock approached 5 pm, Korsak looked over at Jane. "Are you and Maura up for a drink?" he asked. It was pretty typical for the four to stop at the Dirty Robber at the end of an early day to have a drink.

Jane shook her head, "Sorry Vince but not tonight," she answered. She had plans for Maura that didn't involve other people. A smile crept across her face as she let her mind wander on just what she had in mind for the evening.

Korsak noticed the smile which produced one of his own, "Clearly you have something planned," he said.

"Just a little something," Jane evaded. As close as she was both her partners she never shared too many personal details about her life with Maura. As accepting and happy as everyone was for the two, considering how closely they all worked together both Jane and Maura had found it best to try to keep business business and personal personal. "Rain check though?" she asked.

Korsak nodded, "Of course. You two have fun tonight. We can grab a drink tomorrow or another night," he said as he returned his attention to his computer and a video of a kitten climbing up curtains.

Jane pulled out her phone and typed out a text message for Maura.

_I've started my 'end of the day' countdown. Please tell me you will be done on time. -J_

As Jane waited for Maura's reply she couldn't help letting the concern she felt for her girlfriend surface again. Maura had been having a rather tough time of it lately and Jane was worried about her. Patrick Doyle's RICO trial was set to start in two weeks and much to Maura's dismay the Assistant US Attorney trying the case seemed intent on calling Maura as one of the chief witnesses.

On top of that, Maura had been struggling with her relationships with Hope, Cailin and Constance. All for different reasons and about different issues but for the last three months Jane couldn't help but think Maura seemed to be facing grief and issues from all directions in her family life. With the notable exception of Jane.

The relationship between Jane and Maura was the most stable force in each of their lives. They had been together as a couple for just over a year. They had been living together for six months now. Jane had moved in with Maura and had let Tommy take over her apartment lease. The two were extremely happy together. There had even been recent conversations about marriage.

Neither was in a rush to get married or even get engaged. Both felt they would eventually take that step but it wasn't necessarily something that either felt needed to happen in the immediate future. Both agreeing that it would best to have some of the drama still in their lives settled before they added a wedding to the mix. Jane knew Maura wanted Doyle's trial to be over and that chapter of her life settled before she dealt with marriage. She was also pretty sure Maura needed to be on more solid ground with Hope and Constance.

Jane had no issues with waiting. She loved Maura and knew Maura loved her. She didn't need a marriage certificate to prove that. She was confident that they would one day get married but that would happen when it was right for them both. For now, she was more concerned with the stress Maura was experiencing because of her side of the family.

This concern was part of the reason Jane had made the plans for that night that she had made. She was hoping to treat Maura to a quiet, peaceful night and to try to take her mind off of things. Maura was aware that they were having a 'date night' but Jane wouldn't share any of the details with her. Jane's goal was to see Maura find an escape from everything if only for a few hours.

The vibration of her phone pulled Jane from her thoughts.

_Thankfully it has been a slow day. I will definitely be done on time for...where are we going again? -M_

Jane snickered as she read the text. Part of her enjoyment when it came to surprises for Maura was teasing her about not knowing what the surprise was. She typed a reply.

_No cheating. You'll find out soon enough. Meet you at home by 7? -J_

_It was worth a shot. Yes, I will see you at home. XOX -M_

_:D XOX -J_

Jane put the phone down and looked over at Frost and Korsak. She couldn't help but laugh. Both her partners were now battling it out over a game of chess on Frost's iPad. Clearly, no one was getting any paperwork done today.

"I need to run down to the cafe. Either of you need anything?" she asked.

Both men greeted her with a smile and delivered simultaneous 'No's as they returned their attention back to their game in progress.

Jane watched the game for a moment and spotted quickly that Korsak would have Frost in five more moves. Poor Frost. No matter how hard he practiced he was never able to beat Korsak. Or Jane. Or Maura. He could beat Frankie and Tommy. But that was about it. She snickered about his pending doom all the way to the elevators.

R&I

"Hey Ma," Jane said as she rounded the corner into the cafe.

"Hey Janie," her mother answered back. "Coffee this late in the day?" she asked.

"No," Jane answered as she approached her mother. "My shift is over soon and I'll be heading home. I actually just need to ask a favor."

"Sure, what do you need?" Angela asked.

"I was hoping I could talk you into spending the night anywhere but at the guesthouse," Jane said with a smile. This wasn't the first time Jane had asked Angela to make herself scarce when Jane wanted absolute alone time with Maura. Angela was good about disappearing when it was important to Jane. Tonight was one of those nights.

"I'm sure Sean wouldn't mind if I spent the night over at his place," Angela offered.

Jane smiled. It had taken her a little while to get used to her mother dating her boss but she liked and respected Cavanaugh and from everything she saw he seemed to make her mother happy. Once Jane got used to the idea she settled into being just happy for the two of them.

"I'm sorry it's short notice but I do appreciate it," she said with sincerity.

"I'm done here in five minutes. I'll run home and get a few things. I can be sure not to return until tomorrow afternoon," she offered. After a moment she added, "whatever you have planned, I think Maura really needs it." Angela, too, was growing concerned about Maura's stress level.

"I know Ma. I just want to give her a break for a little while," Jane answered. Jane knew Maura frequently confided in Angela about her issues with Hope and Constance. She was pretty sure Maura didn't share too many thoughts about Doyle with Angela but Angela knew enough to know Maura had concerns about testifying against the man but had been subpoenaed and had no choice.

"I'll be gone before you get home," Angela confirmed. "You both have a good night tonight," she added with a wink.

"That is the plan," Jane answered back as she headed back upstairs.

R&I

Maura was happy to see the day come to an end. It hadn't really been a bad day. In fact, things had been relatively slow for the last week or so which was fine with Maura. What she couldn't wait for was to see whatever it was that Jane had planned for their date night. She found herself at several moments throughout the day letting her mind wander off trying to figure out what Jane might be planning.

As it turned out, Jane was actually quite the romantic. A trait that somewhat surprised Maura in the beginning of their relationship. She know Jane had a big heart and that she cared deeply for the people she let get close to her. But what she was never really prepared for was the romantic side of Jane Rizzoli. That seemed to show up at the most unexpected but perfect times. Jane had a habit of sensing when Maura needed a distraction or something just entirely the two of them. She would sense it and then she would deliver. And oh how that woman could deliver.

The effort, planning and thought that Jane would put into some of the things they had done over the last year still made Maura's heart just beat little stronger. A little faster. Jane never ceased to amaze Maura and each new surprise seemed to outdo the previous one. So it was no wonder that Maura had been marginally distracted all day in part due to anticipation for Jane's latest surprise.

So when Maura got into her car at the end of her shift she had to remind herself to obey the speed limits all the way home. She knew Jane had a thirty minute head start on her and she really wanted to see what the night had in store for them both. Her normal commute didn't take any more time than usual but Maura felt as if she would never get home. But finally, she car found its way into the garage and she was heading into the house.

"Jane?" she called out when she entered the house. She looked around but didn't see anything that gave a hint as to what tonight was going to be like. Within seconds of shouting out for Jane she heard the quick but tiny footsteps of Jo coming to greet her. That put a smile on her face.

Jo came flying into the kitchen and was jumping up on Maura's legs in a flash. Maura bent down and greeted the frisky dog for a few moments before standing back up again trying to find Jane. "Jo, where's your mom?" she asked not really expecting an actual answer. She wouldn't be disappointed. Jo's attention seemed to drift towards a new chew toy and she was gone before Maura could even react.

"Jane?" Maura tried again this time with a bit more success.

"Upstairs," Maura heard Jane's voice call out from above.

She smiled and headed to find and say hello to Bass before making her way up to their bedroom. After spending a few moments with her favorite tortoise, she headed up the stairs to find Jane. As she entered the bedroom she fully expected to find Jane once she stepped inside the room. But as she entered the room she found it empty. "Jane?" she called out again.

"Bathroom," she heard Jane's answer and she made her way into their bathroom stopping in her tracks as soon as she cleared the doorway.

"Jane..." she let escape in an almost whisper.

The bathroom was full of lit candles. The tub was filled with water and enough bubbles to cover the entire bathroom floor if she had wanted to. There was Maura's favorite classical music playing softly in the background. The scene took Maura's breath away. Jane couldn't have made the room more inviting if she tried. Or actually, Maura suddenly thought as she realized Jane was fully clothed, there was one thing she could have done differently.

As if recognizing the thought Maura had the moment she had it Jane supplied an answer. "Not this time," she answered softly. "This bath is just for you." Jane reached out her hand and pulled Maura in close kissing her gently on the forehead.

She then slowly turned Maura around and unzipped her dress letting it slowly fall off her body as gravity worked its natural magic. Once completely down Maura stepped out of the pooled fabric at her feet and tried to turn into Jane but Jane wouldn't have it. She returned Maura to a position standing in front of her but she let both her hands slowly glide up Maura's sides causing a shiver to run through the ME.

Jane's hands stopped at Maura's shoulders temporarily only to have one gently push her hair away from her neck. Jane leaned in and placed several lingering, tender kisses along Maura's now exposed neck and just under her earlobe. The effect melted Maura instantly. Jane took her time before letting both hands make quick work of Maura's bra all the while still kissing her neck. As the bra was removed and allowed to drop to the floor Jane's lips finally parted from Maura's skin.

Again Jane allowed her hands to glide back down Maura's skin only to have them settle on the edge of the fabric of her panties. She let her hand roam a bit over a mix of skin and silk caressing just enough to drive Maura slightly crazy.

"Jane," Maura whispered again only this time the want to her tone was obvious.

Jane didn't answer with words. Instead, she merely let one of her thumbs hook the elastic on Maura's panties as she slowly worked them off of the woman she stood behind. Maura had to concentrate to get her body to cooperate enough for her to again step out of the clothes the dangled around her feet. She now stood naked and in complete anticipation for Jane's next moves.

Jane straightened up and one last time let her hands run the entire length of Maura's body. "My God you are beautiful," she whispered into Maura's ear as she took a half step closer to Maura. Maura, wanting any contact with Jane she could get, leaned back into Jane and again tried to turn to face her.

"Nope," Jane said softly. "Or should I say, not yet," she teased. She did let Maura lean into her for a few more moments but then she guided Maura towards the tub and helped her get in and situated. Once Maura was settled her waited for Jane to start to undress. It took her a few moments to realize Jane really wasn't going to join her.

"There's room in here for two," she tried. It didn't work.

"Yes there is. But, no." Jane smiled at the pout that crossed Maura's face. Jane leaned over and picked up a glass of wine handing it to Maura. "This is for you. All of this. Relax. Soak. Enjoy. I'll be back in a few," and with that she leaned in capturing Maura's lips for a passionate kiss. Once they broke free of each other Jane stood up and walked out of the bathroom leaving Maura alone.

R&I

Jane left Maura alone to enjoy her bath for about a half an hour while she finished the final preparations for the night. Once things downstairs were set Jane headed back up to retrieve the woman she loved. As she re-entered the bathroom she found Maura stretched out in the tub with a washcloth draped across her eyes. It was clear that the woman was relaxed which was everything Jane wanted.

"Alright, time to get out. We can't have you turning into a prune," she said with a smile.

Maura removed the washcloth from her face and smiled up at Jane. "This was really nice, thank you."

"You're welcome. Now come on, out you come," she said as she held open an oversized towel which she used to wrap all the way around Maura as she stepped out of the tub. Once Maura was encased in the towel, Jane snuck another tender kiss before stepping back again.

"Jane, you really shouldn't tease a girl," Maura responded in a playful voice.

"Patience is a virtual my dear," was Jane's only response. Clearly she wasn't going to given into the desire they both knew existed. "This way," she whispered and began to lead Maura into the bedroom and towards the bed.

Maura smiled as they left the bathroom and moved towards the bed. This was definitely a step in the right direction as far as she was concerned.

"Lay down on your stomach," Jane requested softly. Maura immediately started to comply but was interrupted by another direction from Jane. "Lose the towel."

She didn't have to be told twice. Within a second the towel was unceremoniously abandoned onto the floor in front of their bed. Maura stood in front of Jane for a moment letting the lingering gaze she felt exist uninterrupted. She was going to do everything she could to test her girlfriend's apparent resolve not to make a move up until this point.

"Uh, Maura..." Jane stammered. "This really will work better if you actually were laying down on the bed." Jane pointed out but couldn't take her eyes off of the gorgeous woman in front of her. She had to fight herself not to give in to her own want and take Maura right then and there.

Maura snickered but finally complied by lying down on her stomach on their bed. She was a little surprised when she felt Jane straddle her but finally realized what she was in for when she felt a small amount of body oil drip onto her shoulders followed closely by Jane's hands starting to slowly knead themselves over her shoulders.

The feel of Jane's hands, even if just for a massage, sent shivers all through her. But the feel of Jane's strong hands working over her relaxed but still stiff muscles felt like heaven. She couldn't even help the contented sighs that escaped from her as Jane continued to work out all the remaining tension her body held onto. Jane's touch was pure magic.

Twenty minutes of pure heaven elapsed and Maura was now completely relaxed. She wasn't sure how Jane had managed to do it but the woman had worked out every ounce of tension Maura had let build. Her body felt loose and at peace for the first time in weeks.

And for the first time in those twenty minutes, Jane spoke. "Now, I laid out some clothes for you. Get dressed and come downstairs," she said as she finally was done with the massage. Her stole one more series of lingering kisses across the back of Maura's exposed neck before rolling off of Maura's back.

Getting dressed was not exactly what Maura wanted in that moment. She rolled over to protest and had plans of trying to convince Jane to stay in bed with her only less clothed than she seemed to insist on staying. However, by the time she rolled over to present her case for just staying in bed Jane was already heading out of the bedroom and into the bathroom. Maura heard the faucet turn on and knew Jane was washing off the massage oil.

She waited for Jane to walk back into the bedroom before trying to speak but Jane beat her to it. "Seriously M, you need to get dressed. I laid out some clothes so get going."

Maura followed Jane's eyes and finally spotted the clothes she had picked out. The clothes on the dresser were not what she expected. "Really?" she asked looking up at Jane both surprised and confused.

"Really," Jane answered trying not to laugh at the look on Maura's face.

"So, we are not going out?" Maura asked again looking down over a pair of yoga pants and one of Jane's BPD T-shirts.

"Not exactly," was all Jane would offer up. "Get dressed," she said again as she disappeared into her own closet to change into similar attire. Comfy clothes as she called them.

Maura reluctantly agreed not quite sure how being home and comfy clothes now constituted a 'date night' but she decided to reserve judgement until more evidence had been presented. The bath and massage were great but truthfully she had expected a little more from the night. By the time she finished getting dressed Jane was no longer upstairs.

As Maura made her way down the stairs she couldn't contain herself anymore. "How exactly does this qualify as a date night experience?" she asked.

She heard Jane's laugh coming from the kitchen and followed it. "Dinner and a movie has long been a traditional date night experience," Jane answered back.

While Maura appreciated the concept of dinner and a movie, she had spent all day anticipating something very different than just a night in with take out and a video. "I suppose there is truth to that statement," she answered and didn't quite hide the disappointment in her tone.

Jane smiled knowing what was bothering Maura. But, she wasn't too concerned. Tonight wasn't just a normal movie night for the two. She knew that but Maura was yet to find out. "So, ready for a movie?" she asked with a smile.

"We aren't going to eat first?" she asked. Their normal routine was first to eat and then settle in on the couch for a movie.

"Tonight's a little different. It's sort of a dine and watch kind of night," Jane answered. "Ready?"

Maura looked around and saw no evidence of food or beverages but nodded her head that she was ready. She went to turn towards the family room but was stopped when Jane took her hand and lead her towards the patio doors. "Jane?" Maura asked confused.

"Trust me," Jane whispered and pulled Maura along with her towards the patio. It wasn't until they got all the way outside that Maura took in her surroundings and for the second time that night Jane had managed to take her breath away. "Oh my Jane. What did you do?"

The deck had hundreds of white lights strung all along the rails. But what really got to Maura was what was set up in the backyard. In the middle of the yard Jane had laid out several blankets along with food and beverages. At a quick glance Maura could spot all her favorite fruits and cheeses as well as a second set up of wine for the two. Besides the blankets there were also several pillows scattered about. The yard and the set up was beautiful. The only thing missing was the movie.

"I thought you said we were dining and watching a movie," Maura asked looking around somewhat confused.

"We are," Jane answered and didn't explain further. Instead, she lead Maura out to the blanketed picnic area and got her settled. Before sitting down herself she walked a ways behind them and turned on something which for a moment Maura couldn't tell what it was. But suddenly the presence of both light and sound filled in the final blank for Maura.

"Oh Jane, how did you ever manage this?" Maura asked as she found herself looking up at a film being projected onto the side of the guesthouse.

"The equipment was easy," Jane explained. "What was difficult was finding the movie still on a reel. Modern technology nowadays has made that scarce. But, sometimes it helps to know people who know people," she chuckled.

Jane rejoined Maura on the blankets and the two quickly got comfortable with Maura snuggling into Jane just as the movie started. Maura had never in her life watched a movie outdoors let alone against the side of a building. She hadn't even been to a drive in movie theater.

Jane sensed Maura's mood change to excitement once she realized there wasn't going to be the usual video on the couch night. As they both cuddled into each other and started to nibble on the cheeses and fruits, Jane leaned in and gave a chaste kiss to Maura's cheek. "I love you," she whispered.

Maura smiled. "I love you too," she whispered back. "More and more with every passing day." And with that, the two settled in and watched 'Casablanca' as it was projected into the night and onto the guesthouse.

It turned out to be a perfect date night.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

The first break of light slowly filtered into the bedroom finding its inhabitants in two very different states. One in a deep, restful sleep. The other wide awake but showing no signs of getting up anytime soon. It wasn't unusual for Maura to be awake at dawn. She had always been a morning person. Just as it wasn't unusual for the the woman next to her to be sound asleep. Maura always thought Jane slept the soundest in the early hours of a morning.

Maura was resting comfortably on her side of bed seemingly content to just take in the sight that was in front of her. This too wasn't an unusual activity. She often times found herself admiring her girlfriend as she slept. There was such a peace about Jane when sleep truly found her. Her beauty seemed to radiate from her in such a relaxed state and there was just something about the fact that Maura knew she was the only person ever allowed to see this from Jane that always had an impact on her.

There were sides of Jane that were only available to Maura. Sides reserved just for her. And Maura understood more than any other person that those sides were what truly made Jane the person she loved. She had never known anyone like Jane in her life. She was amazed by her almost on a daily basis. It was no wonder she ended up falling in love with the woman.

She didn't mind sharing the hardworking detective Jane. Or the fun loving, joke telling, sarcastic Jane. She didn't even mind sharing the fiercely loyal and protective Jane. She was glad everyone got to see and experience those parts of Jane.

But the vulnerable Jane was something no one but Maura was allowed to see. And that had taken several years for Jane to feel completely comfortable letting Maura have. Jane expended an unusually high amount of energy ensuring that no one other than Maura ever witnessed when things would get to her. Bother her. Weaken her. That was only something Jane allowed to happen in front of Maura.

The sweet, caring romantic Jane was also just for her. The Jane that just last night arranged for a movie to be viewed on the side of her guesthouse. Simply to give Maura a few hours of peaceful enjoyment. The same Jane who spent hours after the movie making love with Maura determined to stop Maura's mind completely just through sheer exhaustion and physical pleasure. That Jane was hers and hers alone. She loved that Jane. More than anything in this world.

But maybe her favorite Jane was the one she was staring at in that moment. The blissfully content and relaxed Jane. Maura thought about it and seemed to think this was her favorite Jane because she didn't get a chance to see it very often. A few glimpses of this side of her first thing in the morning. But only if Jane was in a deep sleep which wasn't every morning.

Unfortunately, Maura knew all too well that even in sleep Jane's life could haunt her. While her nightmares had abated over the years, they were still there from time to time. When Jane was overly tired or stressed she grew restless in her sleep. If a case was difficult for her Maura found Jane was more prone to nightmares or just sleepless nights.

Jane seemed to carry the weight of the world on her shoulders at all times. Always trying to protect others. Always worrying about everyone else without much thought to herself. While that was a quality about Jane Maura loved, she understood it came at a heavy price. Maura understood Jane had little inner peace most days and that always broke Maura's heart. There were times she found herself wanting to do nothing more than pull Jane into her arms and hold her until all the demons finally left. But as often as she tried she was never able to completely chase them all away.

Laying in bed that morning watching her best friend, her lover, her life sleeping peacefully Maura was reminded just how lucky she was to have found Jane. She was such an integral part of her life that Maura could no longer envision any future that didn't include Jane. She hadn't ever bought into the notions of 'soulmates' before she met Jane but there were times now where she found she could no longer deny the possibility. If ever there was such a thing, Jane was it for Maura.

Jane was Maura's rock. She found that as more and more of her personal life seemed to come unhinged she was depending more and more on Jane to ground her and keep her afloat. A task that Jane performed marvellously. Usually in a very subtle manner and almost always before Maura even realized she was in need of something from Jane. Jane seemed to have this ability to just sense when life was about to overload her and she would magically restore the balance in her world.

Last night was the perfect example. Out of nowhere Jane had announced a date night. Maura hadn't even realized how stressed recent developments were really making her. But somehow, Jane knew. And she reacted in a way Maura never would never have imagined. The bath, the massage and the outdoor movie screening had been the last thing Maura expected but it was absolutely perfect. Both she and Jane were able to shut out the world and just focus on a good movie and each other for a few hours. Maura had felt her stress melt away last night and knew it was all due to Jane.

Maura released a contented sigh as she continued to stare at the gorgeous brunette who was sprawled across about two thirds of the bed. Maura had to fight not to snicker out loud at the sight as she didn't want to risk waking Jane up. But looking at Jane in her current position, laying on her stomach, head turned away from Maura with the wild waves of her hair spread out across the pillow that only half her head was resting on, one arm dangling off the side of the bed and one foot pulled up and resting against the inner thigh of her other leg, Maura found Jane's present state to be adorable. The woman could really be a bed hog if she slipped into a deep sleep.

Looking at the time on the alarm clock, which was always set for Jane and not Maura, Maura knew she needed to get up. She lingered for a few more minutes still just staring at Jane but finally made a move to get out of bed. She turned off the alarm clock knowing that she would simply wake Jane herself when it was time. She then quietly headed towards the bathroom careful not to disturb Jane as she started to move around.

R&I

Her morning routine was simple. She headed downstairs so she could feed Bass and Jo as well as take Jo on a quick walk so she could do her morning business. Once that was taken care of she headed to the exercise room to get in a workout. Usually she preferred yoga but sometimes she wanted cardio for which she would either run on the treadmill or use the elliptical. This morning she opted for the treadmill. There were still some lingering thoughts running through her mind and she was pretty sure the run would do help her sort through them better than trying to silence them during a yoga routine.

After a thirty minute run Maura was feeling better and the thoughts in her mind were calmer. She stopped in the kitchen to start the coffee and grab a bottle of water from the refrigerator. She then headed back upstairs to take a shower. She was quiet when she re-entered the bedroom and again had to smile at the beg hog who had now shifted and was taking up the entire bed. It was a good thing she didn't intend on laying back down.

Maura knew Jane wouldn't stir as she showered. She stepped into the shower and let the hot water relax her even further. She lingered a bit under the spraying water but eventually she stopped the water and got out. She dried off and put on her robe. She headed back downstairs to have her first cup of coffee and to retrieve the paper to read while she waited for Jane to get up.

**Doyle's Irish Luck Running Out**

Maura wasn't surprised at the headline. Both the Globe and the Herald had almost daily articles on Doyle and the upcoming RICO trial. What bothered Maura was that she felt the tension she had tried to rid herself of both last night and even this morning slowly start to reappear. Simply because she read a headline in the newspaper.

Maura carried the paper into the kitchen and poured herself a cup of coffee. She then opened the paper and began to read the article. As she read through it, she didn't find anything new or different from the last few articles printed. It was just another recap of the RICO charges with similar, if not repetitive, quotes from one of the many lawyers Patrick had hired. About the only thing different from this article seemed to be the acknowledgement that all of Boston was another day closer to getting some long awaited answers expected to come from the trial.

Maura put down the paper and took a sip of her coffee. Two more weeks. The trial was set to start in two more weeks and there was no denying that Maura was absolutely dreading it. She had been through her third round of witness prep with the Assistant US Attorney who was trying the case last week. With each meeting she had been through she kept secretly hoping that she would be informed that her testimony was no longer needed. And at each meeting, she was just as secretly disappointed when that wish did not come to be.

She understood that her involvement in several incidents with Patrick had made it impossible for the government to not call her as a witness. As she worked through the questions the AUSA planned to ask it was evident that she had to testify against him. She didn't even blame the AUSA for placing her under subpoena. She just didn't like it.

Under normal circumstances, Maura had no issues with testifying in criminal proceedings. In fact, she made an excellent witness. Her concise nature, her ability to explain in detail even the smallest fact and her refusal to guess or jump to a conclusion made her a very strong witness on the stand. The district attorneys had found that Maura had a presence about her and a confidence that seemed to captivate the members of the jury and it was obvious that people just liked and trusted her. That gift even allowed them to forgive Maura when she would give an answer that didn't always help their case. Most of them understood that her willingness to give an answer that didn't help the prosecution was part of why jurors trusted her. She never came across as a one sided hired gun for the prosecution.

Even for this case, Maura didn't have any real concerns when it came to testifying about the scientific evidence being used against Patrick. There were no reasonable challenges to the validity of the evidence, the manner in which it was collected nor was there thought to be a serious challenge to what the evidence would ultimately prove. The science part of the trial seemed to be taken care of and not a concern for the AUSA or for Maura.

She didn't even have issues with testifying against her father to help secure a conviction. Her issues weren't about any moral dilemma about testifying against her father. She was fully aware of what he was and what he had done. She believed in the justice system and felt strongly that Doyle must be held accountable for what he chose to do throughout his life. Her issues were more personal.

What worried Maura was the line of questioning that involved her as a person and not as a medical examiner. She was fully aware of what road the AUSA was going to make her walk down and it wasn't one she had wanted to travel down. Especially in such a public format. There were going to be ramifications for the things she was going to have to speak to in court and the thoughts of those ramifications left Maura very unsettled.

There were things she was going to have to answer for that she didn't want people to know about. Things she continued to struggle with privately were about to become fuel for an already out of control fire of media frenzy. Maura could almost envision the newspaper headlines in the days that were to follow her testimony. The thought made her shudder.

She would soon be forced to delve into all of the events surrounding her discovery that Doyle was her biological father. All of those events. There were things that occurred that she hadn't fully dealt with on her own and now she was faced with having it all splashed across newspapers, TV and the Internet for public consumption. The trial was set to reopen wounds Maura understood hadn't ever healed the first time around and ones she had desperately tried to avoid for three years. There seemed to be no end around the fact that her days of hiding from herself were about to forcibly come to an end.

R&I

The ringing of her cell phone pulled Maura out of her own head. Looking down at the caller ID on the screen she released a sigh and answered the phone.

"Good morning, Mother," Maura greeted Constance.

"Good morning darling," Constance answered back in a cheerful voice. "I assume you've been awake for awhile," she added.

"Yes, I've been awake for a little over an hour. How are you?" Maura asked.

"I'm just fine dear. I'm actually just calling to see if I can talk you into having lunch with me this afternoon," Constance said. As she held her phone in one hand her other was holding onto her edition of the Boston Globe. Once again their lead story was the RICO trial for Patrick Doyle. Constance was growing concerned with Maura's reaction to her questions about the trial and how she was handling things. She was hoping to see Maura today to get a better sense of how her daughter was really doing.

Maura thought for a moment about what was on her schedule for the day. "I don't think I have anything pressing. I can't promise I won't get pulled away on a case but outside of that I should be able to have lunch with you." She hadn't seen her mother in about two weeks.

"Excellent," Constance replied not even trying to hide her excitement. She'd been out of town all of last week and hadn't seen Maura or Jane in over two weeks. "I understand about work but let's cross that bridge only if we need to. How does Bistro Du Midi sound?"

Maura smiled at the suggestion. It was a place she loved but Jane hated. "Wonderful. Jane will only go there if she's trying to get out of trouble for something and then she doesn't enjoy herself," Maura answered.

Constance laughed. That sounded exactly like Jane. "Well, I adore the place. Let's meet at 1 if that isn't too late?"

"One should be fine. If something comes up I will call you. Otherwise I will see you later this afternoon. Bye Mother," Maura said.

"Until later," Constance replied and disconnected the call.

Maura put the phone down and smiled. Lunch with her mother. This should be interesting.

R&I

Looking at the time, she knew it was almost time to wake Jane. She finished her coffee and went back upstairs. Once back in the room she looked over to gauge Jane's level of slumber. This time when she found her Jane was laying on her side slightly curled into herself. A position Maura knew meant she was probably awake but just refusing to get up until she had to.

She walked over to Jane's side of the bed and leaned down kissing Jane gently on the forehead. The slight curl of the corners of Jane's lips was all Maura needed for confirmation that Jane wasn't really asleep.

"Good morning," Maura said sweetly still standing over Jane.

A full grin spread across Jane's face but she hadn't opened her eyes yet. Instead of answering Jane reached out finding Maura's hand. Once she took it into hers she lightly tugged and pulled Maura down onto the bed next to her and tried to wrap her into a half hug. "Morning," she mumbled more than spoke.

Maura released a giggle. Jane was so cute in the mornings. "You slept well." It was a statement not a question.

"You wore me out," Jane said through a rather large grin still refusing to open her eyes.

"I was inspired by an unexpected gift of cinematic wonder," Maura answered honestly. "I just wanted to thank you properly for last night."

"You more than thanked me," Jane answered with a stronger voice. She was almost fully awake now and Maura knew her eyes would open soon. "I'm glad you enjoyed the movie."

Maura looked down and watched as Jane's eyes finally opened. She could easily get lost in the deep brown that was now focusing in on her. "It was wonderful," she said and leaned down to capture a tender kiss. "You really are amazing."

The kiss lingered for a moment before either felt the need to end their contact. Jane finally moved to sit up shifting to give Maura a little more room on the bed. She ran her hands over her face and through her hair before letting her eyes settle on Maura making a quick assessment of the beauty in front of her.

"And you're still worried about something," she said. It was subtle but Jane could tell Maura was worrying about something.

Maura sighed and stole another kiss. "Nothing new, I promise," was her answer.

That answered a lot for Jane. "More headlines?" she asked.

Maura nodded. "It'll be daily from now until the trial is over. I don't blame them. It's the biggest story in Boston. They have to," she offered up.

"I'm sorry," Jane offered. She really didn't know how to make Maura's concerns about Doyle's trial go away.

"It is what it is Jane. Neither one of us can do anything about it," she said dismissively. She was done talking about Patrick for now.

Jane knew that Maura wasn't going to talk more about the trial that morning. So she, too, stole a kiss before offering up one more thought. "I realize that. But I don't have to like it. I love you and I will always want to try to keep things from hurting you."

Hearing Jane say that tugged at Maura a bit. She pulled Jane into an embrace and let herself find safety and warmth in Jane's arms. Sometimes she wished she could stay in such an embrace forever. "I love you too," she whispered knowing nothing more needed to be said.

Jane tightened her embrace and held Maura for as long as Maura wanted to be held. It was all she had to offer the woman in that moment so it was hers until she wanted it to end. Eventually Maura broke the embrace. "You should get up," she said.

"I have a better idea," Jane said as she leaned into Maura for a long, passionate kiss. "Let's see if we can stop your mind again for just a little while," she whispered as the kiss came to an unwanted end.

"Jane," Maura whispered and she felt Jane's hands working to loosen the tie on her robe. "We should really..." but she didn't finish her sentence as Jane's hands found what they were searching for leaving Maura temporarily distracted.

Jane shifted on the bed so she was looming over Maura who hadn't put up too much of a fight as she let herself be guided onto her back. Jane's hand continued to roam and stroke across Maura's now exposed skin and she worked to run her tongue across Maura's neck and shoulder blade.

"We have time," she breathed as she worked her way further down Maura's body. As far as she was concerned they had passed the point of no return for that morning and regardless of how much time they had, she was going to finish what she had started.

Maura released a moan as Jane settled herself between her legs. As her breath hitched at Jane's first contact all she could manage to say was "Oh god there is time." That was the last intelligible utterance either woman seemed capable of for the next forty minutes.

R&I

"We need to get up," Maura said chuckling as Jane was still nibbling on her ear. "We're going to be late and now we both need to shower," Maura was starting to get concerned that if Jane kept up what she was doing they were going to start up again and that would definitely make them late for work.

"The showering part is easy to fix," Jane smirked. "There's no reason not to shower together."

Maura laughed. "I can think of a few reasons why, when time is an issue, both of us in the shower is not a very good idea."

Jane grinned and kissed Maura's neck. "Look, it's not my fault that you are irresistible. But," she looked over at the time, "if we want to actually be on time I'm not sure you have much of a choice."

"Oh," she smirked. "There's another option."

Jane immediately groaned knowing what Maura was referring to. "Oh come on," she whined. "I can be good."

Maura let her eyes run up and down their current position in bed. "All evidence to the contrary Detective. You lost that argument the minute you undid my robe this morning."

Jane faked a pout but conceded. "Fine, but for the record, that was totally worth being banished to the guestroom shower."

They shared one last kiss before both made a move to get up and out of bed. Jane headed into the bathroom to retrieve a few items she would need if she was really being booted to the guestroom shower.

As Jane headed into the bathroom, Maura headed into her closet to start to ponder her outfit for the day. "Mother and I are having lunch today. Would you like to join us?" she called out knowing Jane hadn't left for the guestroom yet.

After a pause she heard Jane's reply. "Where?"

She snickered knowing what the final answer would be before even having to name the restaurant. "Bistro Du Midi," she answered back. And was greeted by silence. It only made her smile bigger. She had a mental picture of the look on Jane's face as she fought with herself between being nice or avoiding a place she didn't like.

"I think I'll sit this one out," finally came Jane's answer. She clearly paused to see if Maura's reaction was immediately coming. When she didn't hear anything she continued, "You two haven't had any time alone in a few weeks."

It was a justification and Jane knew it. So did Maura.

"That's fine Jane," Maura said with a chuckle. "Next time I promise to pick a place you actually like the food." They both knew that food was the real reason Jane wouldn't join them.

"Thanks," Jane shouted with relief as she headed out of the room to the other shower. She couldn't help but think how nice it was that Maura knew her well enough to know food was the reason she didn't want to go to lunch and not her actual mother. Of course, Maura also knew Jane well enough to know showering together would not have saved any time as Jane had tried to claim. As she started the shower she made a mental note to arrange dinner with Maura and Constance soon to make up for skipping out on lunch.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

The morning passed slowly again for the three homicide partners. They had managed to do a better job today with working through some of their paperwork than yesterday. Better but not great. They were all just getting to the point where goofing off in some way was becoming more and more likely when Jane and Frost heard their names being hollered by Cavanaugh as he made his way across the bullpen returning from a meeting.

"Rizzoli. Frost. My office." They were being summoned.

Jane looked at Frost, "What did you do?" she asked with a playful accusatory tone.

"Me? Why would it be me? Of the three of us I have to say you are the one most likely to have done something wrong," he answered back with a smile.

Korsak laughed, "The kid's got a point Jane."

"Hey," she faked offense. "It wasn't me. Whatever he wants." She thought a minute but was sure she hadn't done anything lately that would incur the wrath of her lieutenant.

"If you would just walk into my office and ask like actual adults maybe you'd already have your answer," came echoing across the bullpen from Cavanaugh's office. Only this time both Jane and Frost heard the kidding tone behind it and both relaxed realizing that they actually weren't in any trouble.

Both got up and went to see what their lieutenant wanted. As they both sat down in chairs they were greeted by a smile which relaxed them even further. "What's going on?" Jane asked.

"Since you two don't have an active case for the moment I'm reassigning a homicide from third shift to you," Cavanaugh started.

Both Jane and Frost immediately started to protest. It wasn't that they didn't want to work but it had everything to do with taking over an already started investigation. They missed assessing the initial crime scene and that was considered crucial to developing the investigation.

"Come on Sir," Jane was the first to get her mouth open. "Let Anderson and Mitchell work their own cases. They've seen the initial crime scene. Not us," she pleaded.

"I know. I know you both hate taking over anything but this is a special circumstance. Mitchell is in the hospital," Cavanaugh started to explain. That immediately stopped the whining from both his detectives.

"What happened?" Frost asked. He and Jane both liked Mitchell.

"Appendicitis," he answered. "He's going to be ok but it burst before they could start the surgery so he is going to sidelined for a bit. They already had an open case when they responded to this new one last night. Anderson can handle his first case but I'd appreciate it if you two would take over last night's to help out."

In unison they both answered, "Yes sir." Getting an already started case simply because they weren't doing anything was one thing. Helping out few officers was something completely different.

Cavanaugh smiled. "Thanks. If it makes you feel any better, the crime scene is still standing. It's been held open. Mitchell started going south in the middle of their onsite assessment so you haven't missed too much. They did remove the body but CSRU promised they photographed absolutely everything before the body was moved." He handed the file to Jane and dismissed them.

Jane and Frost headed to their desks to start to review the file before heading to the crime scene. They got Korsak up to date.

"Wow, that's too bad about Mitchell. But at least he'll rebound soon," Korsak said with sympathy.

A quick review of the case file told them their victim was a 23 year old white female. No ID was recovered at the scene but her prints and DNA were being run through AFIS and CODIS. The crime scene was an alleyway off Fleet Street in the North End. Initial cause of death was a GSW to the chest. Without seeing the wound Jane couldn't guess at a gun caliber.

"North End," Jane wondered aloud. "Maybe we will get lucky with the police canvas for either in ID or a witness." The North End was primarily a residential neighborhood.

"Maybe," Frost replied. "They got the call around 3 am so I'm sure no one even started the canvas until at least 8 am. Let's head down to the scene to look it over and make sure all the bases are covered.

Jane already had her jacket in hand but before standing up she had a thought. "Frost, we should stop by Missing Persons on the way out. The North End. There may be a decent chance someone is going to realize this girl didn't come home last night. We can check any calls from this morning and get them in the loop if they get the call before we make an ID."

"Good idea Jane," Korsak said. "Why don't you and Frost head down to the scene and I will take the file over to Missing Persons and see what they might have."

Jane and Frost both nodded. As they made their way towards the elevators she pulled her phone out to text Maura.

_Have you started on the overnight Jane Doe yet? -J_

As they rode the elevator to the parking garage Jane's phone buzzed.

_I was just about to. Why? -M_

_Case has been turned over to me and Frost. Can you wait a few hours so I can be there? We're just heading to check out the scene now. -J_

_I heard about Mitchell. Appendicitis affects 1 in 15 people and is actually twice as likely to affect men than women. Studies show that the median age for affliction is 28. I believe Detective Mitchell is 27. We started some of the labs but I can wait for you for the autopsy. -M_

Jane couldn't help but smile at how seamless Maura's 'googlemouth' was now mixing with her general conversation. It was all part of the many reasons by she loved the woman. She typed a quick response as she entered the car to head out.

_Let's see- 36 and female...looks like I'm not meant to be 1 of the 15. I just get their workload. I'll see you soon. Tell your mother I said hi-J_

Jane knew Maura understood that she liked to be present when Maura did autopsies for any of her cases. Since she had already missed the initial site assessment she hadn't wanted to miss anything else. Investigations, especially homicides, always seemed to take on a natural progression or rhythm and Jane never liked that rhythm to be disturbed.

"Maura said she would hold on the autopsy until we get back," she told Frost as they got into the car to drive to the scene.

Frost smiled. He had gotten over most of his stomach issues during autopsies and had learned the benefit of Jane's insistence on being present during them. "I guess it pays to have the Chief ME as your girlfriend from time to time," he teased.

"Yes, it does," she answered back with a smile as they headed out to the scene.

R&I

Since Maura didn't need to start her next autopsy until Jane returned from the field, she was confident she would be able to meet with her mother for lunch without interruption. She sent a confirmation text to her mother asking to meet an hour earlier so she could get back to do the autopsy with Jane. Constance replied quickly and earlier was just fine with her.

Maura spent about a half an hour attending to some paperwork. But as the time approached for her to head out to meet her mother she found herself growing more and more on edge. It wasn't that she didn't want to have lunch with her mother. It was more like she wasn't sure what her mother wanted to talk about. Recently, the relationship between Maura and Constance had been a little strained.

If she let herself really think about it, Maura was still amazed that in as little as four years she had gone from being virtually alone to having more 'family' than sometimes she could deal with. She somethings wondered if she really could have too much of a good thing when it came to an abundance of family.

Jane and Rizzoli clan broke through on the family front first. Her friendship with Jane had an added bonus of acquiring a mother figure in Angela and two brothers in Frankie and Tommy. She had even felt she had a father figure in Frank, if only briefly.

Maura could recall the exact moment she knew that the Rizzolis had embraced her as real family and it was the first time in her life she hadn't felt alone. It had been simple. It was about two months after Angela had moved into her guest house. It was a Sunday afternoon and Jane had just left with Angela to the grocery store to get a few items for the Sunday dinner Angela was making. As Maura attended to the few items already started she was slightly startled to hear her front door open up since Jane and Angela almost always used the side entrance. She looked up to see if Jane had forgotten anything and realized it was Tommy and Frankie walking in.

They were in the middle of a heated conversation of which she hadn't quite understood. They were arguing over the value of a quarterback over the value of a running back and something in reference to a fantasy but Maura couldn't quite grasp what they were debating. In mid discussion both Rizzoli brothers greeted the still slightly startled ME was quick hellos and then they proceeded straight into the family room turning the television onto a football game as their debate continued.

She watched as both just plopped down on the couch and made themselves at home. It was in that moment that she realized they considered her place an extension of 'home' for them. That they were comfortable enough with her and in her place to just enter without knocking and take over her television. No permission was asked for and neither seemed to think twice about what they were doing. It just happened as if it had been a repeated routine for years.

She quickly realized that she felt the same about and around them. And Jane. And Angela. In that moment she came to a surprising realization that she had found a family. An actual family. Standing her kitchen looking at two men that she now considered brothers, she suddenly had a grin on her face and a single tear trickled down her cheek. Her house had become a home. She would never be able to thank or repay Jane for giving her the gift of a true family. The fact that she was now with Jane had only enhanced her relationship with the Rizzoli bunch.

Had family stopped for Maura with the Rizzolis she would have been good with her life enriched more than she thought she ever deserved by their presence. But, instead of stopping, things just seemed to escalate for her over the last few years. First came her mother. Constance Isles, who had for so long been an absentee notion in Maura's life, suddenly wanted an actual relationship with her. Maura was thrilled by this change. Her father still seemed to embrace the parenting from afar model but Constance had over the last few years made a real effort to try to get to know Maura as an adult and to be involved in her life.

It was an unexpected change but not an unwanted one. In the beginning, things had progressed naturally for the two. Constance called more often. They talked longer and about things more personal than what used to fill their conversations. Constance scheduled actual trips to Boston to see Maura instead of waiting for an exhibit to bring her into town. She no longer simply tried to squeeze Maura into her otherwise busy schedule. She made time for Maura. It felt as if Maura was finally getting to see the maternal side of her mother and she truly felt that it was better late than never.

Constance had been immediately supportive of the developing relationship between her and Jane. Maura had been a little nervous at what the reaction would be but she quickly found that her mother seemed to only want what made her happy. Her father was less than thrilled with the news but Maura was convinced it had more to do with Jane not being from 'high society' than the fact that she was a woman. His subtle objections centered around notions of the 'right kind' of family not around any notions of sexuality or gender.

One heated phone conversation about a month after Jane and Maura had officially acknowledged their relationship to their families came to a quick end with Maura pointing out that the Rizzoli's were the kind of family she had always dreamed of having and if he couldn't understand that and be happy for her then he needed to just stay out of her life. After a bit of cooling off, they made peace with each other although there was still some tension when he was brought up in conversation.

Constance, however, had been wonderful. She had flown out to Boston after Maura had made the relationship official and taken Jane out for dinner. Just the two of them. Maura had never been able to get either one to tell her everything that was discussed during that dinner but whatever it was both woman returned in a good mood and visibly very comfortable around each other. Jane had managed to win over Constance in that dinner and their relationship had been solid, and surprisingly strong, since.

But lately, things had become complicated and a bit strained. The complication was Dr. Hope Martin. Having her biological mother enter her life had been anything but a blessing to that point for Maura. In fact, Hope had left behind a virtual path of destruction from the moment Maura had made first contact with her usually leaving Maura emotionally devastated. But the ripple effect of the discovery of Hope's identity had deeply impacted Constance as well.

Constance seemed to waver between understanding and anger over Maura's attempts to try to get to know Hope. Given the rather infant state of their budding relationship, Maura understood that part of the issue was Constance's insecurities about her own place in Maura's life. She didn't want to be vying for Maura's attention. But it appeared at times that was exactly what she was having to do. And in all honesty, on the maternal front Constance was in a three way battle for Maura's attention. Angela, Hope and Constance all seemed to have at least a partial claim on Maura.

When Hope first rejected Maura, Constance had been a great support for her. She was understanding and loving. But something changed as time progressed and it became apparent that Hope wasn't just going to go quietly into the night and never be heard from again. When Hope continued to disappoint and hurt Maura after that first confrontation, Constance seemed to be less sympathetic towards Maura and there seemed to be a hidden layer of anger towards Maura that now lingered. Maura had stopped even informing Constance of new interactions between herself and Hope.

They had actually even had a fight when Constance discovered that Maura was donating a kidney to Cailin. No matter how hard Maura tried to explain the reasons behind her decision, Constance was dead set against the idea of Maura donating her kidney to such ungrateful people. Maura was surprised that Constance couldn't understand that she just couldn't let someone, who happened to be her half-sister, die when she had the ability to do something about it. The events surrounding Maura's birth and adoption weren't Cailin's fault and Maura refused to make the girl pay for other's actions with her life.

Truth be told, Maurs was getting a little tired of having to justify her actions to her mother. She was not trying to hurt Constance by trying to explore a relationship with Hope. She loved her mother and had truly enjoyed the fact that they were growing closer. But she didn't owe her mother explanations about Hope. Or Cailin. Not that she had any definitive answers on the status of either of those relationships. Things with Hope and Cailin were on very unstable ground without much of a foundation outside Maura's kidney donation.

Thinking about it all could be overwhelming for Maura at times. She should have listened to Jane's initial warnings about families. She was quickly finding out just how complicated a family could really get. As she headed out for lunch with her mother she honestly had no idea what to expect from her mother.

R&I

"We started the neighborhood canvas around 8 am," the officer told Jane and Frost. "We all thought anything sooner would be too early."

Jane nodded in agreement. "Has anyone found a witness or made an ID yet?"

The officer shook his head. "Nothing as far as I've been told."

Jane turned her attention to the crime scene. Without a body to view it was an incomplete picture and Jane hated incomplete pictures. She mumbled a complaint under her breath and surveyed the scene.

"It's not ideal Jane but I talked to CSRU and they took pictures from every angle." He knew she was fuming over the fact that the crime scene was incomplete.

"I know," she admitted. "But my process is off."

Frost nodded his head and stepped alongside his partner. "But, we will still figure this out. We always do," he added with a smile.

Jane couldn't help but return it. She turned her attention to the area and tried to take it all in. The area was quiet with low traffic so she now doubted they would be lucky enough to find a witness. The canvas would probably be more likely to find a friend or relative of the victim before finding a witness.

"This looks like the actual crime scene," she said. She would have to confirm it with Maura but from the amount of blood that was on the ground it didn't appear that she had been dumped there.

"Random mugging gone wrong maybe?" Frost threw out a speculating guess.

"According to the report she wasn't found with a phone, ID, purse or money. So it's possible. But this location. That late at night. Not your typical stage for a mugging." She wondered if there would be signs of sexual assault. The autopsy would definitely be more helpful to Jane than this crime scene.

She was about to tell Frost she'd seen enough and wanted to help back to view the actual body when the officer she had been speaking with came approaching quickly. "Detective Rizzoli?" he called out.

"Yeah," she answered just as Frost had rejoined her.

"Detective, one of the officers just called in that he found someone who may know the victim," he said, When Jane nodded he continued. "About three blocks over the man claims that his girlfriend wasn't returning any of his calls or text messages. The officer is bringing him over here to speak with you."

Jane had mixed emotions about that. She was optimistic that maybe the man could help identify the victim which was always an absolute necessity for her to be able to figure out what happened. But she didn't like the idea of the man being brought to the crime scene. She had no idea what happened to the girl and didn't really want this man viewing the crime scene.

"The officer should have asked direction before making that decision," Jane stated not hiding her displeasure.

"While I agree," started the officer, "from what I understand this man is rather insistent."

Jane nodded. They would have to make do with the situation. "Alright but radio ahead for the officer to stop at the alley. I don't want that man all the way down here. Frost and I will meet them at the alley entrance way."

The officer nodded and went to radio in her directions. She was about to complain to Frost about the officer's decision when Frost's phone rang.

"Frost," he answered.

"How's it going down there?" asked Korsak.

"We are almost done here. In fact, we were on our way back but an officer thinks he may have found the victim's boyfriend during the canvas. They are on their way here."

Vince chuckled. "Oh, I bet that went over well with Jane." He knew Jane wouldn't be happy letting an unknown subject anywhere near the crime scene.

"She looks like she will have a long conversation with the poor officer who decided to arrange this without getting permission," he replied with a grin. It wasn't ideal but it wasn't the crime of the century either. Frost knew Jane would calm down and handle the follow-up with the officer in a professional manner. "What do you have?" he asked suddenly remembering Korsak had called him for something.

"I also might have a lead on an ID," Vince started. "Missing Person's just took a call from a kid who says his sister didn't come home last night. The name is Gina Franklin. I'm about to run her through the system. Their address is only about three blocks from where you guys are. Apparently the kid's sister is his guardian. He was going to get a neighbor to give him a ride to the station and he was going to bring in a picture of his sister."

"Jane and I will talk with this guy and then we will come in," Frost said. "Maura agreed to wait to start the autopsy until Jane returned to the station."

"Alright, I'm waiting for the kid to get here. If this is our victim, I'll try to get the kid's statement. See you soon," he said as he disconnected the phone.

Frost walked up to Jane and they both started working towards the alley's entrance to wait for patrol. "Korsak just called. We may have a hit with Missing Persons. A kid just called to report his sister is missing. He's heading to the station to talk with Korsak."

Jane nodded. "One, if not both, might be able to provide us with an ID and possibly an idea of what happened," she answered just as a patrol car pulled up to the alley. "Did Korsak get a name?" she asked.

"Yeah, Gina Franklin," Frost answered.

Jane nodded, "Run the name. Let's see if we can get a photo and match it to our victim."

Frost pulled out his iPad and entered in the information. After a second he had a hit. "Jane," he announced holding out the iPad. "It's her."

Jane took one look at the DMV photo of Gina Franklin and knew they had their ID. "Poor kid," she mumbled thinking about the boy now on his way to the police station about to find out his sister had died.

Jane and Frost both made their way towards the entrance of the alley to handle the possible witness.

"I'm sorry Detective," the officer said as he got out of the car. "The man was very insistent and I didn't know how else to settle him." He swallowed hard half expecting to get yelled at by Jane.

"That's alright," she replied and almost meant it. "Just next time clear it with the detective on site first. It's usually not a good idea to bring someone to the crime scene."

The officer nodded and went to open the patrol car door to let the man in question out of the backseat. As the man got out of the car Jane approached.

"I'm Detective Rizzoli. This is my partner Detective Frost. You are?" she asked.

"Kevin Lansing," he said.

Jane picked up the irritation in his voice. "I understand you haven't been able to reach your girlfriend this morning?" she asked.

He shook his head. "Calls. Texts. All unanswered and that's not like Gina." He looked over Jane's shoulders down the alley.

"What's Gina's last name?" Frost asked.

"Franklin. Her name is Gina Franklin," he said. "Please tell me. Is that her down there?"

Jane took in Lansing for a few seconds before answering. He was agitated and upset but Jane got the sense it was from anger more than fear. That immediately put her on edge. "Mr. Lansing," Jane continued without answering his question, "when was the last time you saw Gina?"

Lansing peered over Jane's shoulder again but then turned to look directly at the two detectives. "She left my apartment last night around midnight to head home. Normally she texts me when she gets home to let me know she is safe but I didn't get one. And then this morning she didn't answer my text messages or answer my calls. So when that officer," he said pointing over to the officer who had driven him over, "knocked on my door to ask some questions I just got this horrible feeling that he was asking about Gina."

"Mr. Lansing, where does Gina live?" Frost asked looking at what information he had already pulled up on Gina Franklin.

"She lives with her brother on Fleet. She takes care of him. She's his guardian," he started to ramble. "It's just four blocks from me."

"How did Gina travel to your place last night?" Jane asked.

"She always walks over. Once you get a parking spot around here, you don't give it up. She would usually come over after she got her brother settled and spend a few hours with me before going back home. She never sleeps over since she doesn't want Eric to be alone all night."

"So, last night when she left she also walked home?" Jane asked.

"Yeah. Just like every other night of the week. It's only four blocks," he said barely audible. "Please," he begged. "I need to know. Is that Gina down there?" His attention again shifted down the alley.

Jane took Frost's iPad from him. Frost had already flipped to the best photo that showed the victim's face but gave no other details about what may have happened. "Mr. Lansing, can you look at a photo for us and tell us if this is Gina Franklin?" Both she and Frost already knew the answer but Jane wanted to see Lansing's reaction to the photo.

Lansing nodded and Jane turned the iPad towards him. Jane noticed the change in body language before she ever heard him make a sound. His whole body seemed to almost give out and he released a whimper. "Oh God," he breathed. "Gina," he said as he looked up at both Jane and Frost. "No," he said in what would have been a holler if his voice hadn't picked that time to give out. Instead, it came out more like a whisper.

Jane gave the man a few seconds to recover as she handed Frost back his iPad. "Mr. Franklin, I'm sorry," she started to explain when he suddenly tried to charge past the two detectives to head down the alley.

"Gina!" he hollered as Frost forcibly prevented him from going down the alley. "How could they?" he cried in both anger and pain.

"Stop!" Frost yelled into Lansing's ear as he tightened his grip on the man. "You are not allowed down there." Frost's voice was forceful but not indignant. The patrol officer tried to step up and help detain Lansing.

"Mr. Lansing, you need to calm down," Jane cautioned. "You are not allowed near an active crime scene. I'm going to have this officer drive you down to the station and we can talk about everything in more detail."

Frost felt Lansing's body relax and he eased up on his hold. Once he was sure that the man had a better hold on his emotions Frost pulled back and motioned for the officer to come forward to get him into the patrol car. Lansing no longer fought anything and was easily placed into the car.

"Take him down to the station," Jane said and the officer nodded.

After the car drove off Jane looked at Frost. "Well, we have an ID but," she started.

"His reaction was off," Frost finished Jane's thought for her. "I noticed the anger too."

"We need to know who 'they' are," she said looking at Frost. "Let's get back to the station. Maura needs to start that autopsy and we may have two people we need to speak to." Jane was sure Vince was waiting at the station for Eric Franklin to arrive to talk about his missing sister. "I have a feeling today is going to end up being a long day," she said as they headed back to close out the crime scene.

**A/N The loss of Lee Thompson Young is tragic. He was incredibly talented. RIP LTY.**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Maura arrived at Bistro Du Midi right on time. As she approached the hostess she was greeted with a smile. "Good afternoon Dr. Isles. It's nice to see you again." The hostess' greeting was warm and friendly. "Your mother is already here. If you would follow me, I can take you to her table."

With that they both headed into the restaurant. Hard as she tried Maura couldn't help but feel several pairs of eyes focusing in on her and she was sure her heard the murmurs increase as she made her way to the table. She was getting used to that reaction towards her. Sort of. Over the last few weeks whenever she had gone anywhere she seemed to draw a lot of attention. The news and paper coverage of Doyle's trial had kept Maura continuously in the headlines as well. She found she was not enjoying her new found sense of celebrity.

Determined to ignore what was happening around her and enjoy her lunch with her mother, Maura tried to tune out the whispers she heard as she approached her mother's table.

"And here you are," the hostess said with a genuine smile. Maura felt a bit more at ease that at least the hostess wasn't trying to act differently towards her.

"Thank you Jessica," Maura said with sincerity as she approached her chair.

"Maura," Constance greeted with a smile as she stood up to give Maura a kiss on each cheek before settling back down into her own chair. "You are right on time."

"Mother," Maura smiled as she accepted her mother's greeting before taking her own seat.

Jessica turned her attention to Maura, "Can I get you started with a glass of wine Dr. Isles?"

"No, I'm working today. But I'd love an iced tea please," she replied.

"Absolutely," Jessica stated. "I'll get that put in for you. Brad will be your waiter for today," she added as she walked away.

"You look wonderful," Maura pointed out as she got settled.

"As do you," Constance returned the compliment. "I'm so happy you didn't have anything come up." She meant it too. She hadn't seen Maura in a couple of weeks and had been looking forward to seeing her.

"As it turns out it worked out for me to be away from the lab for a little while," Maura answered. Looking at her mother's perplexed look Maura explained further. "Jane picked up a homicide from last night quite unexpectedly. I was about to start my examination when she asked me to wait. So, it was the perfect time to join you for lunch."

Constance smiled and couldn't help a rush of pride she felt. She was immensely proud of her daughter and how Maura had turned out. Especially since she realized all too late in her life that she hadn't done enough to support Maura as she grew up. So much time wasted and really no excuse for how she had failed her daughter. A failure she desperately wanted to make amends for. "Why would she need you wait on an exam?" she asked.

"Jane likes to be in the room when I do an exam for any of her cases," Maura answered. She couldn't help but smile thinking about how that habit of Jane's was how their friendship had started in the first place.

When Maura first started as the ME for Boston she was surprised to find out that Jane attended all the autopsies for her assigned cases. In Maura's experience, most of the detectives didn't have the stomach to watch her work and would usually time their visits to the morgue for when she was just finishing up the exam. But not Jane. Jane liked to be there from the start.

Initially it had unnerved Maura as she was used to working alone and in complete silence. Jane, on the other hand, couldn't sit still or stay quiet as it turned out which lead the two down the path of getting to know each other. Somehow, Jane made Maura feel safe and relaxed instead of awkward and unsure of herself. And Jane's instincts and observations had impressed Maura from the beginning.

Maura was surprised when Jane started to show a genuine interest in holding conversations with her that weren't work related. Eventually there was a natural ease between the two and a friendship developed. She wouldn't have guessed that a few years later she would find herself in love with the detective and vice versa but somehow all those innocent chats while standing over dead bodies had lead each to love and happiness.

"Jane is really good at what she does, isn't she?" Constance asked finding herself unsurprised at Jane's level of involvement in an investigation.

Maura's smile broadened. "In my opinion, she's the best detective on the force."

Constance returned the smile as she noticed how Maura's entire face lit up at the thought of Jane. "My guess is that you aren't alone with that opinion."

"She's the most respected detective on the force," Maura acknowledged. Respected for both what she had been through in her past and for her skills as an investigator. There wasn't anyone on the force that didn't know and respect Jane. And that respect was well earned.

"I wish she could have joined us for lunch," Constance added. She really did like Jane and always enjoyed spending time with her.

"Next time avoid selecting a French restaurant," Maura said with a giggle. "That will increase the probability of Jane agreeing to lunch significantly."

Both women shared a laugh as Brad approached the table to take their lunch orders.

R&I

Jane and Frost gave a few more instructions at the crime scene and headed back to the station to conduct an initial interview with Kevin Lansing. Frost had run Lansing through the system only to find that he had no priors. He had yet to even be issued a traffic violation.

"When we get to the station we can get Lansing's initial statement. Did Korsak say how old Eric Franklin was?" Jane asked not sure exactly where on the 'kid' range the brother fell.

"I never asked," Frost admitted. He thought he knew why Jane was asking. Korsak was an excellent detective but over the years they had discovered that he seemed to intimidate younger kids when he tried to talk with them. Of the three, Jane easily made for the best option in doing interviews with children. She had the ability to reach kids better and when they got comfortable they said more and certainly recalled more details. "If he's too young for Korsak we can handle Lansing while you speak to him."

It was a good suggestion and one Jane was thinking herself. "I have a feeling that's how we will end up playing this," she agreed.

R&I

Once Korsak knew that Eric Franklin was on his way to the station, Korsak grabbed a few items and headed down to the cafe to wait for his arrival. When Missing Persons had told Vince the name of Eric's sister he had pulled up the DMV photo and knew their victim was Gina Franklin. He figured he would have his initial conversation with Eric away from the bullpen. He thought the bullpen or an interview room would just serve to scare the boy and he didn't want to do that to the kid. Plus, he was fairly certain Jane would end up doing the formal interview with Eric. She was better with kids than he was. The cafe, he thought, would be a good place to ease Eric into having to talk about his missing sister.

He headed into the cafe to get a cup of coffee. "The usual Sergeant?" he heard Angela ask from over the counter.

"Please," he replied as he took a seat at a table where he could watch for a boy to enter the station. He had notified the duty officer that a boy was going to asking for him and that he would be waiting in the cafe.

"Did you want something to eat as well?" Angela asked as she brought over the coffee for Vince.

"No thank you," he answered. "I'm actually just waiting for someone. Do you mind if I talk with a kid in here?" he asked.

"Of course not," she answered. Stanley would get mad at times if detectives spent too much time idly chatting at one of the tables but he wasn't around. "Take as long as you need," she answered but had to excuse herself to wait on another customer.

After a few minutes Korsak saw a boy enter the station looking upset and uncertain. He was sure this was Eric Franklin. He watched as the duty officer listened to the boy and then he pointed over to the cafe. Once the kid made it to the entry way, Korsak stood up and walked over. "Eric?" he asked.

The boy, Eric Franklin, hesitated for a moment but then nodded his head. He was thirteen years old and Korsak could tell he was scared. From the looks of it he had been crying. He stood looking at Korsak with his arms pressed tightly to his sides. In his left hand his fingers clutched a picture so tightly Korsak noticed his knuckles were white.

"Eric, I'm Sergeant Korsak," he tried to be as reassuring as he could. "Why don't you come sit with me for a moment ok?"

Again, the boy nodded his head instead of answering. He started to follow Korsak into the cafe and seemed to move a little faster than earlier. Both took a seat in the cafe and it occurred to him that the boy was alone. "Eric, didn't your neighbor bring you?" he asked looking around.

"Yes Sir," Eric gave as a quiet answer. "But he just dropped me off." The boy didn't offer up a better explanation and Korsak really didn't push for one.

"That's alright," he said. He took in the appearance of the boy in front of him for a moment. The kid was tall for 13 but lanky. His clothes were clean and in good condition but what struck Vince was that the boy didn't seem to fit into them. Whether it was due to being the wrong size or something else he just wasn't sure.

The boy looked just like his sister. Vince knew he didn't even need to see the picture Eric was clutching in his hand to confirm that Eric was Gina's brother.

"Sir," Eric started quietly in almost a whisper. "Do you know where my sister is?"

"Can I see that picture you brought in?" he asked. He didn't want to just blurt out that Gina was downstairs in the morgue.

Eric hesitated for a minute. He looked down at the picture in his hand. Vince wasn't surprised to see the conflicted sorrow in the boy's face. He had seen it many times before over the years. He knew what Eric was fighting. Handing over that photo put Eric one step closer to hearing what he must have sensed by now but didn't want to know for sure. Looking into Eric's eyes, Vince knew this kid had been through more than most 13 year olds had and things were about to get worse for the kid.

Korsak was patient. He would let Eric take his time handing over the photo. They both sat in silence for a few minutes until, finally, Eric raised his arm and handled over the 8" X 10" photo of his sister. Korsak took the picture still not really needing it to get a positive ID for their victim. Years on the force had trained him not to react as he viewed the photo. It was a simple photo of the two that looked to have been taken during a trip to the aquarium.

"Eric, can you tell me when was the last time you saw your sister?" he asked as he set the photo down on the table and turned his attention back to the boy.

"Yesterday," Eric offered but then went silent again.

In that moment Vince knew that Jane would get further with Eric than he was. He knew Jane and Frost were on their way so he would try to start to fill in some of the blanks and then let Jane finish talking with the boy.

"Can you walk me through your day yesterday?" he tried again this time making sure to ask something that Eric couldn't just give a one word answer.

Eric sighed but started to talk. "I went to school like always. After school Mrs. Anderson gave me a ride home like normal. When I get home from school I have to do my homework right away or Gina won't let me play video games after dinner. I did my homework and when Gina came home from work I was almost done. I finished and Gina made us dinner. It was Wednesday so it was Mac and Cheese night. We ate, I did the dishes and then I got to play Xbox until my bedtime. That was the last time I saw her. When she said goodnight and turned off my bedroom light. This morning when I woke up she wasn't in the apartment."

Vince had scribbled down a couple of notes. "When is your bedtime?"

"Ten. But Gina let's me stay up til eleven on the weekends," he answered.

"What time did you get up this morning?" Korsak asked.

"Seven, like I always do. But this morning I couldn't smell it," he answered.

"Smell what?" Vince asked.

"Breakfast," Eric answered sadly. "She always has breakfast going when I get up."

The fearful look came back on Eric's face. It nearly broke Vince's heart. "Did you hear anything unusual last night. A knock on the door or a phone call maybe?"

Eric shook his head. "I never heard nothing," he answered.

"Did you try to call your sister?" Vince asked.

"I got up and went to her room because I thought maybe she just was still asleep but she didn't answer when I knocked on her door. I stood there for a while. I'm not supposed to go into her room without permission but after awhile I was worried that maybe she was sick so I opened her door. She wasn't there and the bed was made. That's when I called her phone," he answered all the while just looking at the photo of his sister that he brought.

"Did her phone ring or did it just go to voicemail?" Vince asked.

"It just went to voicemail. I left her a message to call me but she hasn't called me yet," he said and Vince could see tears form in his eyes.

"Eric, do you know if your sister leaves at night when you are asleep?" he asked not sure if the boy was even aware if Gina was dating anyone.

"Sometimes she goes to see Kevin," he answered and Korsak noticed immediately that Eric's tone changed when he said Kevin's name. It was clear that Eric did not like Kevin.

"Who is Kevin?" Korsak asked.

"Gina's boyfriend," Eric answered with the same tone.

"Do you know if Gina saw Kevin last night?" Vince asked.

"I don't know. I tried to call him this morning too but he didn't answer my call," Eric answered.

"You don't like Kevin?" he asked.

Eric looked into Korsak's eyes for really the first time before answering. "I used to," he answered tentatively.

"But?" Korsak prodded.

"But, then he let them," he paused and grew quieter, "he let them hurt her."

Korsak was immediately intrigued. "Them who?" he asked.

Before he could an answer, however, he noticed Eric's attention had been pulled to something outside of the cafe. He looked up to see what Eric was looking at but he wasn't sure. Korsak saw three patrol officers and a man all walking across the lobby of the station towards the elevators. He didn't understand what held Eric's focus.

"Eric?" he asked now looking at the boy who was fixated on what, or maybe who, was in the lobby.

He didn't get an answer. Instead, he watched as Eric got out of his chair and walked towards the lobby. Korsak was up and following a few seconds behind him. "Eric?" he called again.

This time there was a reaction from out in the lobby. The man that was walking with one of the patrol officers heard Korsak and turned around. He saw the boy and turned to take a step closer to Eric.

"Eric, what are you doing here?" asked the man clearly surprised to see Eric there.

Korsak caught up to Eric but was now looking at the man who at this point he guessed was Kevin.

"What did you do to my sister?" Eric asked Kevin with nothing but anger in his tone.

"Eric? I didn't do anything," Kevin tried to offer as he took another step towards the boy. "You know I love her."

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY SISTER?!" Eric yelled at Kevin. The shout was loud enough that everyone in the lobby and the cafe fell silent and turned their attention to the scene that was developing in front of them.

Before Kevin could protest his innocence a second time, and before anyone could react to what was happening, a shot rang out through the lobby and in an instant Kevin Lansing was falling backwards. All eyes suddenly turned to see Eric standing with a gun in his hand.

Every cop in the area instinctively pulled their guns and trained them onto the source of the shot. Several cops heard the shot and came running into the lobby guns drawn. Jane and Frost were amongst the cops who came running. They were just about into the lobby when they heard the gunshot.

Eric stood with the gun raised in front of him tensing his arms. He started to look around only to lose count of the number of guns pointed back at him. Tears were streaming down his face but he didn't appear to even notice them.

"Eric," Korsak pleaded. "Put the gun down." Korsak was the closest cop to the boy. His instinct was to just rush the boy given that the size difference alone would have allowed for Vince to handle the boy but he wasn't close enough where he was sure the kid wouldn't be able to get another shot off before disarming him. So, not wanting to escalate the situation, he held still.

"They killed her," Eric stammered. "She's dead. I know she's dead. He...they..." he said between sobs.

"Eric, put down the gun," came a strong but surprisingly gentle voice off to the side. The voice was Jane's.

Eric turned his head to see who else was talking to him and using his name. He wasn't sure how she knew his name but his eyes locked onto hers. "She was all I had left," he said in almost a whisper as the tears continued to fall.

"I know," Jane answered with nothing but compassion. She had holstered her gun and was slowly trying to approach the boy. She held her arms up and open in front of her to show him she wasn't pointing any gun at him. She knew the other officers, including her two partners, had her covered. "I know she was all you had left. I'm so sorry about what is going on but Eric, you have to put that gun down."

As she inched closer and closer to him she knew she needed to get him to let go of the gun. There were ten guns aimed at him and the last thing any one of them wanted to do was to shoot a child. As she inched closer to Eric to keep talking with him and to keep him distracted she gave an almost undetectable nod to Vince who also was slowly holstering his gun. He knew what Jane was doing and what she wanted done. After his gun was holstered he slowly started to inch in behind Eric to get out of his line of sight.

"He did it. They made him. They hurt her," Eric choked out as tears continued to fall.

"Eric, if he did. If they did," she started still not knowing who the 'they' was that both Kevin and Eric seemed to be referencing, "I will figure it out. I promise you I will figure out exactly what happened. But I'm going to need your help and for that I need you to put that gun down. Please. Gina wouldn't want you to get hurt." Jane pleaded. She was buying time. Vince was almost in position to be able to come up behind Eric and secure him.

"You'll catch them all?" he asked in a defeated voice.

Jane inched a little bit closer so Eric could really get a look into her eyes. "I promise I will catch everyone that did this. Please. You have to put that gun down."

She saw his facial expression change. She knew he was going to give up. She gave one more nod to Korsak to get him to make his move. A fraction of a second before Eric was about to lower the gun on his own one of the patrol officers off to the side made a big enough move that it spooked Eric.

The movement was enough to startle Eric and as a reflex he squeezed the trigger and before anyone could stop it, before Vince could protest and make his last move to subdue the boy, three cops pulled the trigger on their own guns and Eric crumpled to the floor.

The next two seconds saw everyone react to the boy falling. Korsak kicked the gun away from Eric's hands. Two detectives turned their attention to Kevin Lansing calling out for someone to call an ambulance. Korsak turned his attention to Eric Franklin also calling for an ambulance.

Above the chaos one more shout for an ambulance was heard. This time it came from Frost who was now leaning down over his fallen partner.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Maura and Constance spent most of their lunch exchanging light, pleasant conversation with each other. Constance got Maura all caught up on her latest exhibit as well as what her father had been working on. Maura was finally able to get into the details of the vacation her and Jane had taken last month in Paris to celebrate their one year anniversary. The conversation flowed easily and both women had a very enjoyable lunch.

Constance, however, knew she needed to broach the subject she had thus far avoided. It had been the main reason she wanted to have lunch with her daughter. As she finished the last of her lunch she put down her fork and looked over at Maura. After hesitating for a moment she finally started.

"Maura," she said turning her full attention to her daughter, "we haven't talked about this in a while but I was wondering how you doing with the trial approaching."

They had a conversation when Doyle was first arrested and Maura expressed her concern that she would have to testify against him. Outside of that, the subject of Doyle and the trial hadn't really been discussed much between them. But Constance was seeing the same daily headlines she knew Maura was and she really wanted to know how her daughter was handling it all.

Maura paused and looked at her mother before giving an answer. It wasn't that she didn't know how she was doing. It was that she wasn't sure how much of her anxiety she wanted to share with her mother. Their lunch had been pleasant, more pleasant than Maura had expected. The topic of Doyle seemed to inevitably lead to the topic of Hope and Maura was sure she didn't want to discuss Hope with her mother.

"I'm not looking forward to the start of the trial. I'm tired of the headlines already and those have only just begun. I can't get the US Attorney to consider not calling me as a witness," she rattled off in an unexpected burst of honesty. "And I find the stares and whispering that seem to follow me around in public to be both rude and uncalled for." She was a bit surprised as her outburst but she meant everything she said and suddenly realized it felt good to vent a little to her mother.

"Oh Maura," Constance replied sympathetically. "Darling, I'm so sorry that you have to go through all of this. I wish there was something I could do for you." She just couldn't really think of anything that would make all of this just go away for her.

"There really isn't anything you can do," she conceded. "But the fact that you even offered means a lot to me. Thank you." She did find it comforting that her mother seemed to be concerned and trying to check up on her.

"And they are definitely calling you as a witness?" she asked. "Can't another medical examiner testify to the evidence?"

"There are a number of qualified medical and scientific experts that could easily testify to the forensic evidence the government plans to enter into the record," Maura acknowledged.

"Then let someone else take the stand," Constance interjected. "You shouldn't have to do this Maura."

"Mother, it's not that simple. It's not just the forensic evidence testimony that the government wants from me," Maura answered but paused without completing the rest of her sentence.

That answer confused Constance. If it wasn't forensic evidence that the government wanted from Maura then what could they want? Confused she looked at Maura. "They can't seriously believe that you have any knowledge about his...activities, can they?"

Maura dropped her eyes from Constance at that question. There were many things about her interactions with Patrick Doyle over the years that Maura had never told her parents. In fact, she basically kept everything from them. Mostly she hadn't wanted her parents to worry about her. But also, there were things Maura didn't want her parents to know about her. Things she didn't ever want anyone to know.

Disturbed by Maura's reaction and sudden lack of eye contact Constance tried again. "Maura? What exactly is it that the government thinks you can testify about if not the forensics evidence?"

Maura released a heavy sigh but looked back up at her mother. As she looked into her mother's eyes she saw nothing but concern and love reflecting back at her. A look that, until recently, hadn't been in her mother's eyes for years. They had come so far in such a short period of time. That very thought brought tears to Maura's eyes which she had to fight hard not to allow to fall.

In that moment, seeing the motherly look on Constance's face. A look Maura longed to see for too many years in for her life, she knew she couldn't answer that question. Couldn't give the answer. She knew she couldn't risk seeing that look change. She wasn't going to lose her mother now after having gone so long without her.

She couldn't tell her. She wouldn't tell her. The risk was too great. Constance would find out soon enough but Maura found that she just couldn't tell her as they sat there.

Maura cleared her throat and started to speak. She was trying to pick her words very carefully. "Mother, as much as I would," she began but stopped when the ringing of her phone interrupted them. Looking at her phone she was surprised to see the name on the caller ID. Looking up she spoke, "I'm sorry Mother, one second."

She hit a button on her phone and answered, "Angela?" She wasn't sure why Angela was calling her in the middle of the afternoon.

"Maura," Maura heard Angela say and was immediately on edge by the tone of Angela's voice.

"Angela, what's wrong?" she asked filled with concern. Instinctively she knew something was wrong with Jane.

"Maura," Angela tried again through tears but her voice choked up again.

"Angela," Maura said now not even trying to hide the panic in her voice. "Angela what happened to Jane?" She needed to understand what was going on.

"Maura?" came Frost's voice over the phone. He had gently removed the phone from Angela's grip when it was clear that Angela wasn't going to be able to tell Maura much of anything in that moment.

"Barry?" Maura recognized his voice. "Barry what is going on?" Her level of panic was raising.

"Maura, there's been a shooting," Frost replied but quickly followed up, "Jane was hit but she's going to be ok."

"What hospital?" was all Maura wanted to know.

Constance had already flagged down the waiter and demanded the bill immediately. She knew Maura was leaving as soon as she could figure out what was going on and Constance wanted to be right behind her.

"Mass General," Frost answered. "Maura, she was hit in the shoulder. The bleeding was immediately controlled and it doesn't appear that the bullet has hit any arteries. I've been assured that she's going to be ok," he tried to be as reassuring as possible. The EMTs had convinced him Jane's GSW was not life threatening.

"I'm on my way," she said and disconnected. Details and stories could be told later. For now, she just needed to get to Jane. She turned to her mother but before she could speak Constance cut her off.

"Go! I'm right behind you. But Maura, please drive carefully. I can't have both my girls in the hospital."

Maura didn't even stop to acknowledge her mother's reference to Jane as 'her girl'. Instead she mumbled the name of the hospital as she was halfway out the door. Constance settled the tab and was out as fast as she could be as well. She wouldn't be more than five minutes behind her daughter as she pointed her car towards Mass General's emergency room. As much as she loved Jane, Constance absolutely hated the fact that her daughter was in love with someone with such a dangerous job.

R&I

"Frost!" came Cavanaugh's voice above all the chaos that was still stirring in the station lobby. "What in the hell happened down here?" he asked incredulously as he took in the sight around him.

Officers were moving all around and the CSRU team seemed to be struggling with setting up a decent perimeter for the scene. Before Cavanaugh would let Frost actually answer him he needed to interject and control the scene.

"Alright! Everyone stop and listen to me," his commanding voice echoed throughout the lobby. "Let's all calm down and start acting like we all know what we are doing. This is an active crime scene so let's remember that. Any of you that are curious onlookers, get out of here right now!" He paused as he watched a few detectives and some office personnel trying to sneak out without being caught. After a minute or so the number of people remaining in the lobby was about half the number before Sean started yelling.

He continued. "The rest of you, you all know the drill. CSRU needs to rope off the perimeter. All of you report to Donovan with your badge number and if you were a witness or an active participant. I need at least three detectives to start taking statements about what happened so if any of you only came at the very end of this we need to use you." He looked around and saw four detective's raise their hands and he knew that they were able to start helping to get official statements.

"Everyone else, if you are not a CSRU tech I need you outside of the perimeter. You can wait in the cafe until it's your turn to make a statement." He looked down at the two bodies still in laying on the station floor. A young boy and a man who Cavanaugh guessed couldn't have been more than 25 years old. Both pronounced dead at the scene by the responding EMTs.

"Donovan, we need the guns of the cops who fired shots," he said and waited for Donovan to nod his understanding. IA was on its way downstairs and would most definitely get involved in whatever had happened in their own lobby and Sean knew he needed to do all of this by the book.

"Henderson, I need you to keep the press out of here until we get the scene recorded and cleaned up," he said. The officer nodded and headed to the front doors to do what he could to keep the press from getting any footage of what had occurred inside the lobby. It was going to be all over the news if coverage hadn't already started but there was no way he was going to allow images of two dead kids on the station floor to get aired or printed.

Once the scene was fully under control and CSRU was able to get their work started Cavanaugh returned his attention back to Frost. "Detective, a word please," he said and he pulled Frost aside. "Jesus Christ Barry, what happened down here?" he asked again this time ready and wanting the answer.

"Sir, Jane and I came into the middle of all of this but Korsak was here for it all," he started. Cavanaugh turned to find Vince standing near the body of the boy with a haunted look on his face.

"Tell me what you do know," he said to Frost.

"Jane and I were returning to the station to talk to our victim's boyfriend, Kevin Lansing." Frost turned his head and looked over at the body of Kevin Lansing but then returned his attention to Cavanaugh. "We knew Korsak was supposed to be meeting with our victim's brother, Eric Franklin," and again his eyes drifted to the other body laying on the floor.

After a moment he continued. "We had just come up from the parking garage when we heard a gunshot and a few people yell. We both pulled our guns and went running towards the sounds. When we got to the lobby we saw several detectives, including Korsak, all have guns pointed at Eric who was holding that .22 in his hand," Frost nodded towards the gun that lay a few feet away from Eric Franklin's body. "Korsak was trying to talk to him but it didn't appear as if he was listening. No one was close enough to the boy to make a play for the gun without the risk of him firing again.

"Jane holstered her gun and stepped forward to try to speak with Eric in an attempt to get him to put the gun down. At the same time, Korsak holstered his gun too and started inching behind Eric while Jane tried to keep him focused on her. I think she had convinced him to put the gun down and Korsak was about to grab him from behind when one of the patrol officers moved to get into a different position. The kid must have seen it because instead of putting the gun down he squeezed the trigger and shot it again. Then, he was hit. I heard three shots. Korsak got the gun away from the boy and called for an EMT. Two detectives checked on Lansing and also called for an EMT. I turned my attention to Jane."

He grew quiet again and Sean was sure an image of a bleeding Jane was crossing his mind. "Jane has a GSW to the right shoulder. I put pressure on the wound and called for an EMT for her as well. Within seconds Angela was by my side yelling for Jane to talk to her." He again grew quiet. The pained look in Angela's eyes having seen Jane get shot was more than Frost was really ready to deal with in that moment.

Composing himself once more he continued. "The EMTs responded quickly but to me it felt like an eternity. I kept Jane's bleeding under control and tried to keep her from moving while we were waiting for the EMTs. You know how she is. She kept trying to get up and act like nothing was wrong. It took Angela yelling at her to get her to lay still. I heard the EMTs pronounce both Lansing and the boy. So did Jane." Frost again paused as he remember the look on Jane's face when she heard the EMT say that the boy was dead.

"But they seemed confident that with the bleeding from Jane's wound was under control and that it didn't appear as if the bullet had hit any arteries. Angela tried to call Maura but couldn't really get out what was going on. I took her phone and told Maura most of the situation. She is on her way to Mass General now."

Sean nodded as Frost finished recapping his story. "No one knew this kid had a gun?" he asked not trying to hide his shock and anger.

Frost shook his head. "Apparently not," he answered. He hadn't been here when the boy came to the station. "I think the kid was just dropped off at the station by a neighbor. If he didn't go upstairs to meet Korsak then he hadn't gone through the security screening."

The station was outfitted with metal detectors. Detectors placed in the station after Moreno and his crew tried to take over the station a few years ago. But, to not inconvenience the general public, a person didn't have to enter the metal detectors until they were going further into the building than the lobby. Anyone could enter the lobby and speak with the duty officer, as well as enter the station cafe, without needing to be cleared through security.

In this case, it seemed likely that the boy hadn't progressed far enough into the station to go through a screening and since he entered on his own through the front door no one had searched him. But as Cavanaugh thought about it all he wondered if even he would have thought to search a thirteen year old boy who seemed to only want to file a missing person's report for his sister.

Cavanaugh looked at Frost and nodded his head. "Make sure Donovan gets your statement then head to the hospital. I want an update on Jane and I'm sure Angela could use some company," he said. Angela had been in the cafe and watched as her daughter had been shot. She insisted on riding in the ambulance and the EMTs were smart enough not to trying to stop a mother from being with her daughter.

Frost nodded, "Thank you. I really want to check on Jane. And Angela," and after a slight pause he added, "and Maura."

"Have faith," he offered. "They said it didn't appear that any major arteries were hit so I think Jane's going to be ok but get over there and confirm all of that for me," he said. He cared about all of his detectives but Jane was special to him. She was the best detective he had, she had already endured more than she ever should have had to live through and she happened to be the daughter of the woman he was in love with.

Frost headed off to give Donovan his statement as quickly as he could. He, too, needed to get to the hospital to make sure his partner, his friend, was really going to be ok.

Cavanaugh next turned his attention to Korsak. The sergeant hadn't moved him his spot standing over the boy. Still with a haunted look on his face. Sean knew that look. Whatever had happened here it clearly affected Vince deeply. Cavanaugh slowly walked over and joined Korsak as he stood.

"Vince?" he spoke quietly and waited for Korsak to acknowledge him.

"I never saw it coming," Vince answered back. "I should have realized something was going to happen. I shouldn't have let the kid leave the cafe."

"Don't do this to yourself Vince," Sean said sympathically. "There's no way you could have foreseen something like this."

That was true. There was absolutely no way Vince could have known that not only was the 13 year old boy armed, but that he was going to shoot the boyfriend who just happened to be in the lobby at the same time the boy was in the cafe. This was never a predictable outcome.

One of the many hard things about police work was there were too many situations in the day to day that simply were not predictable. From routine traffic stops to knocking on front doors, a cop just never really knew what to expect. Human behavior was anything but predictable. Although law enforcement did the best it could to offer training to its officers in how to minimize the inherent dangers of those interactions with people, there would never be a way to offer enough training for avoiding unpredictable behavior. Law enforcement members just had to take all the precautions they could and learn to react based on their instincts and past experiences.

"Walk me through what happened," Sean said focusing his attention on Vince.

"Missing Persons called and said a boy was trying to report his sister was missing. I had given them the profile of our Jane Doe and it seemed to fit. The boy said he could get a ride to the station and bring a photo so that was what I was waiting for. As I was waiting for him, I ran his sister's name with DMV and the photo was definitely our Jane Doe.

"I headed down to the cafe to wait for the kid. I figured that the bullpen or an interview room might be too much for him so I just thought I'd talk with him at the cafe until Jane returned from the crime scene. You know she is better with kids than I am," he said looking at Sean trying to get his agreement for his decisions.

Sean merely nodded and encouraged Vince to continue.

"When he got here we sat in the cafe. He was upset and scared but he finally started to share some information about last night and this morning. And then, as we were talking, he saw him," Korsak nodded towards Kevin Lansing's body, "walk across the lobby and he reacted immediately. He tensed and before I could ask him what was wrong he was up from his chair and walking towards Lansing.

"He confronted Lansing asking what Lansing had done to his sister. Lansing answered nothing. The kid yelled at him one more time and the next thing any of us knew he had shot Lansing. I was the closest officer to the kid but Sean I swear I wasn't close enough to make a move for the gun without running the risk of him firing the gun again.

"I tried to talk with him but he didn't respond to me. The next thing I heard was Jane. She started to slowly approach Eric and talk with him. He responded to her immediately. She was unarmed and advancing slowly. She nodded to me to move in behind the kid into his blind spot while she talked with him. She was good Sean. I thought she had calmed the kid down enough to get him to drop the gun on his own but something scared him and he fired again. I heard three shots being returned and," he paused. "He never had a chance after that."

Sean shook his head. The whole situation was a complete mess but it didn't appear as if anyone in the department did anything wrong. Everyone's actions seemed justifiable. "Why did the kid shoot this guy?" he asked. "And why the hell does a 13 year old kid carry a gun into a police station?"

Korsak had absolutely no answer for Sean's second question. He hadn't even thought to search the kid. "I think he believed Lansing killed his sister. He told me, before seeing Lansing, that he didn't like him because he had let 'them' hurt his sister. I never got a chance to find out who 'them' was or what happened. When Jane was talking with him, he cried that Lansing and people he called 'they' had killed his sister. But again, we didn't get a chance to find out who he meant by 'they'."

"Ok, give your official statement to Donovan, check in with IA and once you are cleared you can head to the hospital to see Jane as well." Cavanaugh knew Vince wanted to check up on Jane as much as Frost had wanted to see his partner.

Vince nodded but didn't move.

"Vince," Sean said slowly. "This really wasn't your fault. Go talk to Donovan. CSRU needs to work here."

Begrudgingly, Korsak finally moved from the spot he had maintained since the EMTs had pronounced Eric Lansing dead and walked off to give his official statement.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

Maura ran into the emergency room at Mass General. She looked around the waiting room looking for any signs of Angela or Barry but she didn't see anyone. She walked up to the emergency room admissions desk and tried to get the attention of the charge nurse. "Excuse me," she announced needing to find out where Jane was.

"Can I help you?" asked the charge nurse.

Maura flashed her credentials knowing full well she would get a faster response than if she hadn't. "I'm Dr. Maura Isles. Detective Jane Rizzoli was brought in with a GSW to the upper chest. I'd like to see her please."

The charge nurse looked at Maura's credentials and realized immediately who she was and what her relationship to the injured detective was. She nodded in sympathy towards Maura. "One moment Doctor," she said and she went to get a status on the detective.

Maura stood at the desk impatiently willing the nurse to return quicker with an update. She needed to see her girlfriend. After a few moments the nurse returned to speak with Maura.

"Dr. Isles, Detective Rizzoli is currently being prepped for surgery," she started.

"I'm Detective Rizzoli's medical proxy," Maura informed the nurse. "I'd like a consult with Jane's treating physician and surgeon before they start any procedures."

She didn't doubt the treatment plans of the doctors but she wanted to understand exactly what had happened to Jane, the extent of the injury and what the surgeon expected to encounter when the operation started. Maura understood that Jane's job would require full, functional use of her arm and shoulder. She wanted to understand exactly what was in play before approving any procedures.

"Of course, Doctor," the nurse answered. "Head upstairs to the surgical floor waiting room and I will have both doctors come speak with you."

Maura nodded and headed off to the elevator. While her mind was racing she was somewhat comforted by the fact that Jane's surgical procedure had not yet been started. That helped confirm for her that Jane's injury was not life threatening and that the bleeding was under control. Had the subclavian artery been involved Maura was sure Jane would have been redlined straight for emergency surgery.

She got off the elevator and headed for the surgical waiting room where she encountered a very upset and nervous Angela. "Angela," Maura acknowledged.

Angela looked up from her chair and seeing Maura she ran to her and had Maura in an embrace, "Oh Maura," she cried.

Maura felt Angela trembling as she held her and it broke Maura's heart. She had expected Angela to be upset but this seemed to affect her more than Maura was prepared for. "It's alright," she tried to sooth Angela. "Jane's going to be alright," she said as she tightened her hold on her girlfriend's mother.

Angela continued to cry so Maura maneuvered them both over to chairs so she could sit the upset woman down. After they were both seated Maura tried to reach Angela again. "Angela, really. Jane will be ok. Her doctors are coming up to speak with me so I can get all the details but Jane is going to be alright." She was saying it more to reassure Angela but she found herself wanting nothing more than to believe what she heard herself saying.

Angela's crying started to subside but she continued to tremble. Maura couldn't understand why Angela was having such a visceral reaction to Jane's shooting. "Angela?" she asked trying to get Angela to look into her eyes.

"Oh Maura, it was awful," she said.

Hearing that something occurred to Maura. "Angela, did you see what happened?"

Angela nodded her head and started crying again. Maura pulled her in tighter. She understood better than she had wanted to in that moment. It was one thing to know that Jane was hurt. It was another thing altogether to watch it happen. This was the first time Angela would have seen Jane injured in person.

"Angela, I'm so sorry you had to see that," she said. And then it dawned on her that she had no idea what had happened and how Angela had been anywhere near Jane when Jane was shot. She had just assumed when she talked with Barry that Jane was shot in the field but that couldn't have been true if Angela was close by.

She wanted answers and she wanted to ask Angela questions but just then two doctors entered the waiting room and looked around. "Dr. Isles?" one of the called out.

Maura turned around and identified herself by nodding. She then turned to Angela. "Those are Jane's doctors," she told Angela. "I need to speak with them so I can get a complete understanding about what is going on with her. I'll be right back," she leaned in and gently kissed Angela on the forehead and then stood up to speak with the two doctors.

"I'm Dr. Isles," she said extending her hand to both doctors. "I'm Jane's girlfriend and her medical proxy."

Both doctors nodded their understanding. "I'm Dr. Weston. I was the attending physician in the ER. This is Dr. Dougherty. She will be Jane's primary surgeon." Maura greeted both doctors before asking her questions.

"Can you tell me where we are with Jane?" she asked.

Weston started since he was the attending. "Detective Rizzoli was brought into the ER with a GSW to the right shoulder. Her vitals were stable and the blood loss was minimal. There was no loss of consciousness in the field and she was responsive, alert and oriented upon arrival. I assessed the wound finding an entrance wound but no exit wound. I ordered films," he said and he pulled out the X-rays for Maura to review as he continued to speak. "Notice the multiple fragments projecting over the right shoulder. I notated a right mid-lung opacity which is likely due to a contusion injury but there is no diminished breath sounds or respiration issues so a chest tube was deemed unnecessary."

Maura studied the films and listened to what Weston said. "And you both feel surgery is necessary?" she asked.

Dr. Dougherty took over answering Maura's question. "I was called in to consult," she started. "With low velocity GSWs we normally recommend wound debridement which can be done in the ER. However," she stated as she turned her attention to the films Maura was still looking at, "it is my opinion that several of the bullet fragments are in close proximity to both the median nerve as well as the axillary nerve."

Looking at the films again, Maura notice the fragments that the surgeon was referring. She nodded and returned her attention back to the surgeon.

"With the proximity to the nerves, it is believed that Detective Rizzoli would be better served with having the debridement occur during a surgical procedure. I will be better able to visualize the damage, remove all of the fragments without disturbing the nerves and ensure that no grafts are needed."

Maura took in what the surgeon was saying. She fully understood that any nerve damage in Jane's shoulder could seriously limit or end her career as an active detective. As she was thinking through the surgeon's information Dougherty spoke again.

"Dr. Isles, there appears to be no arterial damage and from the films I cannot appreciate actual nerve damage. I believe we are looking at a case where tissue disruption and some minor muscle damage will be the extent and Detective Rizzoli should make a complete recovery without limitations to her range of motion. I fully understand, given her profession, the concerns she, and you, are bound to have about arm functionality. Out of an abundance of caution, I am recommending a surgical debridement of the wound."

One last look at the films was enough to convince Maura that the surgeon was correct. She needed to do what she could to protect Jane from any long term nerve damage and a surgical debridement of the wound seemed to be the wisest course of action.

"If you discover nerve damage?" Maura asked.

"If I discover any nerve damage we will do a graft but looking at the films I will say that it is unlikely that I am going to run into that situation."

Maura nodded. "I agree. Please do what you need to do," she said.

"Would you like to see her before she goes under?" Dougherty asked. It wasn't something she usually allowed but with Maura being a doctor and the patient's girlfriend she thought she would make an exception.

"Please," Maura sighed with relief. She had desperately wanted to see Jane for herself and was beyond grateful to get a chance to see her before her surgery.

"I can take you back," Dougherty offered. "She's being prepped but you can have a few minutes with her before we need to get started."

"Just let me speak with her mother for a minute," she said knowing Angela needed an update before Maura simply disappeared.

"Of course," Dougherty said as she stepped aside to wait.

"Good luck," Weston said as he turned to head back to the ER.

"Dr. Weston," Maura said as he turned back, "thank you." In that moment it was all she could manage.

"You're welcome Dr. Isles. Detective Rizzoli is in good hands," he added as he walked away.

Maura returned quickly to Angela's side to give her an update.

"Maura, what did the doctors say?" Angela asked.

"It's mostly good news," Maura answered trying to reassure Angela. "The bullet fragmented but doesn't appear to have hit any arteries. But they want to debride the wound," she answered.

"Debride?" Angela asked.

"It basically means cleaning out the bullet and bone fragments. A way of cleaning out the wound," Maura explained. "They want to do the debridement in surgery because a few of the fragments are close to two nerves in Jane's shoulder and they want to avoid any nerve damage."

"And you agree?" she asked.

"I do," Maura said. "I think this is best way for Jane to avoid permanent nerve damage."

Angela merely nodded her agreement. She trusted Maura to make the right medical decisions when it came to her entire family. Maura was every Rizzoli's medical proxy at Jane's insistence for occasions just like this one. Maura understood what the doctors were saying and knew what to ask before agreeing to any procedures.

"They are letting me see Jane for a few minutes before the surgery. Will you be alright here by yourself for a few minutes?" she asked.

"Yes," Angela said. "Tommy and Frankie are both on their way. Please, go see Jane. I need someone I trust to tell me she is actually ok." Maura nodded and stood up to join the surgeon again. "Maura?" Angela called out. "Please tell Janie that I love her."

"I will," Maura answered back as she was lead down the hallway by the surgeon.

R&I

Dr. Dougherty led Maura to the pre-op room where Jane was. She smiled at Maura and spoke. "You can stay with her until we are ready to wheel her back. That should give you about ten minutes."

"Thank you," Maura said with conviction as she entered the room and approached Jane's bed.

Jane was laying on the bed with her eyes closed. She looked relaxed and if Maura hadn't known differently she could have mistaken Jane for simply being asleep. As she approached Jane's side she took a minute to look at all of the monitors that were now attached to Jane. All of the readouts were within acceptable ranges which immediately made Maura feel a little better.

She approached Jane's bedside and reached down taking Jane's left hand in her own. A single tear escape and trickled down her cheek but she didn't bother to wipe it away. "Oh Jane," she said. "What am I going to do with you?" she asked aloud not really expecting any answers.

"Maur," Jane half whispered. "That you?" she asked but didn't open her eyes.

"Yes Jane, it's me," Maura answered and leaned forward to place a gentle kiss on Jane's lips. "I'm here," she added.

A smile broke out across Jane's face and she slowly opened her eyes. Once her eyes were completely open the smile grew even bigger as she pulled Maura into focus. "You are here," she acknowledged with a bit of a slur.

Maura nodded. It was clear that Jane was already somewhat sedated. "Yes, honey. I'm right here," she confirmed and squeezed Jane's hand. She leaned in and brushed some of Jane's hair away from her face.

Jane inhaled deeply and looked into Maura's eyes. "You smell pretty," she said with a smile.

Maura wasn't quite ready for a comment like that and she chuckled. "Thank you," was all she could think to say.

"Maur," Jane said in what could only be described as a very loud, slurred whisper. "I gotta tell you something. Come here," she announced in a secretive, all be it loud, tone.

Maura leaned in closer to listen to what Jane needed to say. "What is it?" she asked.

Jane looked into Maura's eyes and with the same overly loud whisper she announced, "I'm naked under here."

Maura had to bite down on her cheek not to burst out in laughter. "Jane, honey, you have on a hospital gown," she tried to correct Jane.

"But," Jane argued, "under that...totally naked." The smile that was on Jane's face was too much for Maura who finally gave into her urge to laugh and let out a giggle.

"Jane," she tried to compose herself.

"Naked Maur...naaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaked," she practically sang.

Maura again let out a laugh which she just couldn't stop.

"We should have sex," Jane blurted out with unexpected vigor.

Maura again struggled to contain the laughter. She didn't want to upset Jane who didn't quite seem to be able to piece together exactly where they were and what was going on. "Jane," she said with a giggle, "we can't have sex. You are about to have surgery."

Jane frowned. "Sex is better. Let's do that instead."

"How about we let the doctors take care of you and then we can worry about sex," she offered wondering if it was even worth it to try to reason with a clearly drugged Jane.

"Nope," she said. "Sex. I want to have sex with you. I can rock your world," she again slurred.

"Yes honey, you definitely can rock my world," she admitted with a smirk.

"You are the only doctor I need," Jane announced. "I love you."

She said it so plainly. So simply. For some reason it really moved Maura. They had proclaimed their love to each other before. Numerous times. But there was just something about this situation that struck Maura stronger than it usually did. She leaned in and kissed Jane. "I love you very much," she said in between kisses.

"See, you want sex too. Climb up here," she said and tried to pat the bed with her left hand. "Get naked with me."

As Maura tried again not to laugh an orderly entered the room. "I'm sorry Dr. Isles but we need to get Detective Rizzoli ready for surgery."

Before Maura could answer Jane weighed in on the subject. "No," she whined. "You gotta come back later. I'm gonna have sex with Maura."

The orderly, not missing a beat, answered back. "Is that so?" He had seen similar scenes like this play out many times before. "You are a lucky lady."

"Damn straight," Jane said and suddenly laughed at her own answer. "Look at her," she said with a prideful grin. "All of that is mine."

Maura, who was never one to embarrass easily, looked at the orderly. "She's a little out of it," she said with a smile.

The orderly snickered. "True, but she isn't wrong."

Maura laughed and Jane picked that moment again to weigh into the conversation. "See, even he thinks we need to have sex. Come on Maur. We have a bed. We are naked. Or maybe it's just me naked but you can be naked too. It's perfect," she rambled.

"You have about one more minute until I need the room," the orderly said to Maura who nodded her understanding.

She leaned into Jane and whispered. "We can't right now Jane. You have to have this surgery. But I promise, the minute the doctor clears you for sexual activities, I will let you rock my world."

That made Jane blush and it seemed to appease her. "Ok," was all she said.

Maura placed her hand on Jane's cheek and stared into her eyes. "I love you. You are everything to me and I don't know what I would ever do without you." Another tear formed and started to fall.

"Hey," Jane said suddenly getting serious as she saw the tear trickle down Maura's cheek. "Don't cry. You have me. Forever and always."

Maura nodded and leaned in for one last kiss. "I'll be here when you wake up," she said.

The orderly returned and nodded for Maura that it was time for her to leave. "I love you Jane," she said one last time.

Jane got out "I love you too," before her eyes closed again and the orderly started to prep the bed for transport down to the surgical room. Maura watched Jane being rolled down the hallway and out of sight before she made her way back to Angela in the waiting room.

R&I

By the time Maura returned to the surgical waiting room Angela was no longer alone. Tommy, Frankie, Frost, Korsak and Constance had all arrived and everyone was sitting quietly waiting for Maura's return. The sight of everyone made her feel safe and secure. They had an amazing extended family.

As she walked into the waiting room all eyes focused in on her and they all said in almost perfect unison, "How is she?" Maura doubted they could have timed it better if they had tried.

Maura proceeded to give everyone a recap of the extent of Jane's injuries, what was the expected happenings for the surgery and what Jane's recovery would look like if everything turned out as the surgeon was expecting. Angela, Constance and Frankie had a few questions which Maura was able to answer.

After that, Maura wanted to understand what had happened to Jane. Everyone turned to Frost and Korsak for that explanation. Frost waited to see if Vince would start explaining but when he didn't right away, Barry filled in Maura, and everyone else, on what had occurred.

Maura couldn't believe what she was hearing. She couldn't believe that a 13 year old kid could shoot anyone. And then she couldn't believe that officers had to shoot the boy. It was a tragic situation and Maura knew Jane was going to be extremely bothered by the fact that the boy was shot and killed.

As Frost was explaining what happened Maura noticed how quiet Vince was being. After Frost finished his story and everyone settled in for the wait, Maura moved herself over to sit next to Vince.

"Are you ok?" he asked as she sat down next to him.

"I'm confident that Jane will be ok," Maura answered. "But I'm worried about you. Are you ok?" she asked looking at him.

Instead of answering he dropped his eyes and didn't want to look at Maura. But Maura wasn't going to have any of that. She gently put her hand under Vince's chin and forced him to look at her. She was surprised to find his eyes watered with tears.

"Vince, this wasn't your fault," she said staring straight into the older man's eyes.

"I should have," he started.

"Should have what? Patted down a 13 year old child who just lost his sister? Should have known the boy would shoot the boyfriend? No Vince. I don't think so. Answer me this. Was what Barry described what really happened today?"

"Yes," he answered. Frost had told them everything.

"Then based on what I heard, none of this was your fault. No one would have guessed that this was going to happen. Not even Jane," she said. "So, cut yourself a break Vince. Jane wouldn't want you to beat yourself up for something you couldn't control."

Hearing Maura's absolution helped but it didn't completely settle Vince. He would only get the rest of what he needed when he heard the same thing from Jane and knew she meant it. And for that, he would have to wait for her to get out of surgery. And just like everyone else in that waiting room, Vince hated waiting.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

_"Your Honor, the defense calls Dr. Maura Isles to the stand."_

_The move was an unexpected one and the entire courtroom suddenly filled with snippets of conversations and half whispered gasps. No one seemed to expect the defense to call the medical examiner to the stand._

_Including Maura._

_She sat there for a minute making no moves to get up and walk towards the stand. Why was this happening? What could she possibly offer up as testimony in his defense._

_She turned to look at Jane in the hopes that Jane would be able to offer up some idea as to what exactly was going on. Jane was so much better at understanding people and situations than she was. But as she turned to look at her girlfriend she was struck by the look in Jane's eyes._

_A look she had never seen come from Jane before. Disappointment. Contempt._

_"Jane?" she whispered._

_"How could you defend that man and not tell me?" Jane whispered back with anger to her tone. "After everything he has done to you? To me? Why didn't you tell me this Maura?"_

_Maura shook her head. "I don't know what's going on Jane. I swear!" she strongly whispered again trying to get Jane to believe her that this wasn't something that was expected._

_"Dr. Isles?" the defense lawyer interjected. "Please take the stand."_

_Again, Maura didn't move and that caused another round of whispers and conversations. She reached over to take Jane's hand only to have Jane pull her hand back at the last minute. The gesture devastated her._

_"Bailiff, could you please help Dr. Isles find her way to the witness stand," ordered the Judge who seemed annoyed that Maura's inactions were delaying his proceedings._

_As a rather large bailiff made his way towards Maura she finally stood up and headed towards the stand. Emotionally she was still reeling from Jane's reaction towards her but she wasn't going to have the world see a bailiff have to forcibly move her to the stand._

_Once she was finally settled into the witness box but before she was officially sworn in, the AUSA stood up and spoke._

_"Your Honor, I object to the witness being called at this time," he started._

_Maura sighed in relief. She had a glimmer of hope that the AUSA would keep her from having to offer testimony for her father._

_"On what grounds?" the Judge asked._

_"Quite frankly, Your Honor, on the grounds that this witness is the offspring of a known murderer and a woman who doesn't want to have anything to do with her. I mean, really, if her own mother, and actually in her case two mothers, know her well enough to know they don't want anything to do with her, her adoptive father has already disowned her and that simply leaves her biological father who is a cold blooded killer, I will argue before the Court that Dr. Isles' credibility is completely without merit. She's more likely to take after her father than be of the character that this Court should have to be subjected to. I would find her testimony to be nothing but a complete waste of this Court's time and I strongly urge that you sustain my objection and we all just move on to more relevant matters at hand."_

_The Judge seemed to ponder the AUSA's objection. _

_The AUSA continued. "Your Honor, even Dr. Isles' girlfriend wants nothing to do with her."_

_That seemed to tip the scale and the Judge ruled. "Objection sustained. Dr. Isles, your testimony in this matter will be forbidden as it is deemed to be an utter waste of our time. No one wants you in their lives so I will spare the Court members such a fate. You are excused."_

Maura awoke with a start. She felt her heart racing and she could tell her breathing was labored. She squeezed her eyes closed for a moment and tried to center her racing mind. She needed to orientate herself to her surroundings.

It was just a dream.

Slowly, she opened her eyes again and let her surroundings come into focus. She was home. In the comfort of her own home. Her own bed. That knowledge started to sink in and she felt the tension in her entire body start to slowly ease.

She rolled onto her back and tried to focus in on her breathing. She forced herself to take slow, steady breaths in and after holding them for a few beats she would release them. It took a few repetitions but eventually it started to work as Maura succeeded in centering herself.

She turned her head to the right and was greeted with a view of Jane's angelic face still peacefully asleep. In that moment, the sight of Jane settled her better than anything she had tried up to that point. She shifted in bed a bit so she could keep her eyes on Jane.

She found she was still a little disoriented being on the 'wrong' side of the bed. It had been ten days since Jane was shot and a week since she had been released from the hospital. The first night home they realized that a temporary side switch was needed. With Jane's right shoulder injured Maura hadn't wanted to accidently roll into or bump into Jane's right side during the night. Her first suggestion had been separate beds until Jane's surgical wounds healed but Jane wouldn't even consider it. So they had switched sides but even after a week it felt weird for them both.

But, considering what could have happened in that lobby, Maura knew a little nighttime disorientation was a very small price to pay to have Jane alive safe in her bed and in her arms at night. Both women seemed to understand how lucky they had been that Jane ended up with minimal damage from the shooting.

The shoulder surgery went without issue. The surgeon was able to debride the wound without causing any nerve damage and when she able to fully visualize the area there was some muscle and bone damage But all things considered the damage was deemed minor. There wasn't a need for any nerve grafts and the surgeon was sure that with rehab Jane would make a complete recovery. It was the best possible news to hear from Dr. Dougherty when she came into the waiting room to tell the family.

As Maura continued to stare at the still sleeping detective next to her she couldn't help but wish Jane's emotional recovery was going as well as her physical recovery. Jane was hurting and it wasn't because of the bullet wound to her shoulder. Maura just wished she could get Jane to talk to her about it. Ten days and it still hadn't happened.

Maura first realized something was wrong when Jane didn't demand to be released from the hospital once she fully woke up. Normally, Jane would insist on getting released immediately. Several times in the past she had threatened to just walk out of the hospital. And she was usually making plans for returning to work regardless of a medical clearance. Maura, in fact everyone, had expected the same reaction from Jane this time as well.

But it never came. Jane never once questioned her surgeon, the nursing staff or even Maura about when she could go home. She hadn't asked for an early release to return to at least desk duty. In fact, while she listened to and agreed with the recommended recovery and rehab schedule she was given, she never even tried to change it or cut time off. While in the hospital she never said a single word about going back to work. Not even a complaint about knowing she would be stuck on desk duty for a few months until her shoulder was fully healed.

No one knew what to make of the obvious change in Jane's demeanor. But it had them all worried. It wasn't like she shut people out. Everyone could have understood that from her as they had seen that behavior from her in the past. But this time, this time she was just different. She greeted all her visitors and was very engaged in conversations and jokes. As long as they weren't talking about work. She evaded every conversation about what happened and about returning to work.

Only Maura and Angela tried to push Jane to discuss the shooting or returning to work. The others freely left the topics alone when they realized Jane wasn't going to talk about any of it. Both Maura and Angela's efforts were met with fierce resistance. Jane wouldn't talk about it. Both had finally stopped trying to force the conversation reluctantly admitting that when Jane didn't want to discuss something, it wasn't going to be discussed. Both women were left hoping that with some time Jane's psyche would recover.

But ten days had now passed and Jane was still not making any fuss about being on a medical leave. She had started some of the rehab work two days ago but until the incisions completely healed the majority of the work couldn't be started yet. The physical therapist was focusing on maintaining muscle in Jane's arm until they could get started with range of motion work and muscle rebuilding for the shoulder.

Korsak had stopped by to ask Jane if she wanted to go into the station to give her official statement about the incident in the lobby. He thought maybe it was a good way to get Jane to come in and see everyone for a few minutes. He figured if she got back to the station that make spark the desire to return. He was beyond surprised when she asked for him to just have Donovan come to the house the next day to get her statement. It was the first time he had ever seen Jane refuse to come to the station.

Maura didn't know what to do. She knew better than to suggest Jane see a therapist. Jane would have to sit for at least one session with the station psychiatrist but since she was on a medical leave she wouldn't have to even go through that until she was ready to be reinstated. And Maura knew that was still a ways away to do any good in the moment.

She wished Jane would just talk to her about whatever was bothering her about what had happened with the shooting. Maura didn't understand it. She knew Jane was going to be upset when she realized the boy was killed but since Jane wasn't one of the officers to actually have to shoot Eric Franklin Maura hadn't really thought it would impact Jane as much as it clearly was.

Releasing a sigh, Maura reached out and let her fingers ghost lightly over Jane's cheek and forehead. She wasn't concerned about waking the detective. The pain pills Jane took at night seemed to knock her completely out. Maura was thankful for that as she was sure without them Jane's general discomfort wouldn't allow for much sleep. At least one of them should be getting a full night's sleep she thought as she rolled over and stared up at the ceiling.

With her growing concern over Jane's behavior and the trial fast approaching, Maura had all but given up on the notion of getting a complete night's rest. Sleep now eluded her. She fought to even fall asleep most nights and over the last week had been routinely awaken by nightmares similar to the one that caused her to be wide awake at 3:30.

She hadn't told Jane about the nightmares. Jane slept through them thanks to the medication and given everything that was bothering her Maura hadn't wanted to add to Jane's concerns. Part of her felt guilty for getting upset with Jane for not talking with her when she was just as guilty of that herself. She briefly wondered if she should try force the conversation with Jane again. Maybe enough time had passed that Jane would open up to her. Maybe she needed come clean herself. Maybe that would help them both. Maybe.

Knowing she wasn't going to get any more sleep that morning, Maura gave up and got out of bed. Before leaving the room she replaced the covers over Jane gently tucking them around her and she leaned in kissing Jane's forehead.

Maybe she would force them both to talk, she thought as she headed down to the kitchen to start some coffee. Something needed to change.

R&I

As Jane opened her eyes she knew immediately that it was way too early for her to be awake. She tried to fight it but seemed to be at a loss as to how she could hold it off. Her normal tactic was to simply roll over and resettle into the warmth of the bed or into the honey blonde who slept beside her. However, this morning she could do neither.

Her shoulder kept her from being able to roll over and the ME didn't seem to be in the bed next to her. She knew Maura was an early riser but when she turned her head and saw that it was only 4:20 am she knew this was early for even Maura. Jane let her left hand slide across the bed to test the warmth and found Maura's side to be stone cold. Maura had been out of bed for a while and that now worried Jane.

It had been a long week for them both. When Jane first woke up in the hospital after the surgery she wasn't surprised to find Maura in the chair next to her bed with her fingers interlocked around Jane's available left hand. Nor was she surprised to see her mother occupying the chair on the other side of her bed. Unfortunately for them all, that was a scene that had played out a few too many times before. What had surprised her was seeing that a third chair had been brought into the room and that one held Constance. All three women were asleep but the sight of them made Jane feel safe and secure and she easily fell back asleep.

It wasn't until the second time she woke up that her mind started replaying what had happened in the station lobby. She remembered heading back to the station with Frost to speak with the victim's boyfriend. Remembered coming off the elevator and hearing a gunshot. She ran with Frost towards the lobby and she remembered being shocked to see everyone pointing their guns at a boy. A child really.

A boy with a gun in his hand. A gun he was shakingly pointing at anything that caught his eye. Korsak had tried to reason with him but it was clear to everyone the boy wasn't listening to him. She had guessed correctly that the boy was the victim's brother, Eric. She knew someone other than Korsak needed to try to get the kid's attention. She remembered putting her gun down and approaching him.

She remembered their entire conversation. His cries. His claims that 'they' had killed his sister or had made the boyfriend do it. Her promise to find everyone involved and catch them. But then, things got fuzzy. She didn't realize the gun had been fired until it was too late. She wasn't even sure what made Eric shoot. He was lowering the gun. She thought she had talked him off the ledge and she was sure Korsak had moved close enough to secure the gun without a threat of injuring anyone else.

Her body registered the impact of the bullet before she really even heard the sound. She found that odd. Normally she always heard the sound first and then felt the burning of the bullet piercing her skin. Maybe it was because the other times her mind knew it was coming. This time she hadn't been ready for it at all.

She was on the ground before she realized it too. She had wanted to stop the return fire. She was going to call out for others not to react. Not to shoot. To fight their natural instinct in subduing an active shooter. To call out that he was just a boy and that Korsak could get the gun from him. But before she could do any of that she froze. She seemed unable to find her voice in that moment. So nothing came out. Nothing.

Instead, she heard three distinct shots being fired and knew in that moment that Eric Franklin was about to die. She knew it without even having to watch it. Knew it because in active shooting scenarios cops are trained to shoot to kill. Not shoot to wound. Not shoot to capture. Shoot to kill. It was a basic principle. It didn't matter that he was just a kid. He was an armed assailant and the minute he fired the gun that second time his fate was sealed. Sadly, his fate was probably sealed the first time he fired the gun.

She heard Korsak call out for an ambulance. She heard who she thought was Gonzalez holler out for another ambulance. That gave her hope. If the EMTs could get there in time maybe both Eric and Kevin had a chance. And then she heard Frost call out for one too. That one she knew was supposed to be for her. She remembered thinking she was fine and trying to get up. Eric and Kevin needed the attention more than she did. She remembered Frost pushing her back down and she remembered that her shoulder hurt and her right arm felt numb.

But she remembered trying to get up again. She felt determined to check on the status of both shooting victims. She was vaguely aware of Frost's attempts to get her to lay still but she just had to see about the others. Until she heard it. It was what finally stopped her movements. Her mother. Or more accurately, her mother's voice.

Fear.

There was a fear in that voice which was calling out Jane's name over and over that Jane had never in her life heard. Of the many tones of Angela Rizzoli, and there were many, this one was new. Painfully new. A tone Jane instantly knew she never wanted hear again as long as she lived. Ever.

To cause her mother that much fear. That much pain. That was something she never wanted to be responsible for again.

Jane stared up at the ceiling in her bedroom and let her mind drift to thoughts of Eric Franklin again. He hadn't had a mother in his life when he died. From what Jane had been told, his sister Gina had taken over that role after both their parents had been killed in a car accident. Although it appeared that his sister had done an excellent job of taking care of him after the accident, Jane knew it wasn't the same thing. A sister's love wasn't a complete substitute for the love of a mother.

Eric didn't have that anymore. And Jane couldn't help but kept going back to the tragic truth that in his last minutes that poor boy was utterly alone. He had lost his mother. He had lost his father. And he had become very aware of the fact that the last person he had left in his life to love him was no longer with him anymore either. He knew his sister was dead. How the world allowed a boy of only 13 years to die completely alone was something Jane just couldn't figure out.

She blinked her eyes closed and tried to shake off the hold the whole situation seemed to have on her. She just couldn't seem to shake it. No other incident, not Hoyt's many attacks, not Moreno and all that brought, not even being kidnapped by Dominic Bianchi had the same effect on Jane as had this incident in the station lobby. The fact that Jane couldn't figure out why was probably what bothered her the most.

She had no idea what to tell Maura. She knew Maura was worried about her. Hell, she was worried about herself. But each time Maura tried to get Jane to talk about what was bothering her she found herself at a loss to even understand it. So in the end, she said nothing. She did nothing. She made no move to try to get back to work. She didn't even want to go to the station to give her statement. She just couldn't be there right now but she really didn't understand why.

She felt bad for not talking with Maura. She just kept thinking that things would make sense in her head at some point and then she could tell Maura all about it. But that clarity hadn't come yet. And now she felt like she was shutting Maura out and that really was the last thing she wanted to do. Maura had enough happening in her life that Jane hadn't wanted to add to it.

Looking over at the empty half of their bed, Jane understood she had done exactly what she tried to avoid. She had managed to make things in Maura's already complicated life worse. The realization of that hit her hard and she knew she needed to fix that. She was supposed to be the one person Maura could always depend on to protect her and keep her safe. She was supposed to be the one who would never hurt her. And Jane couldn't help but think she had just managed to fail at being that person for Maura.

With that thought, Jane very slowly, very carefully got out of bed and went to go try to fix what she knew she had broken.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

After Jane adjusted her arm brace she headed out of the bedroom to find Maura. She stopped first at the exercise room half expecting to find Maura running on the treadmill but the room was empty. So Jane continued her journey down the stairs. As she went room to room she couldn't find the ME. She wasn't in the family room, the formal room or even in the kitchen. As a last option, Jane looked out the kitchen window and finally found Maura sitting on the deck swing. Jane mentally berated herself again as she couldn't help but notice how alone Maura looked.

She had to fix this.

She slowly walked towards the screen door and took a deep breath before sliding the door open and stepping out onto the deck. She had expected Maura to say something as soon as the screen door slid open but she remained oddly silent. Jane slowly approached and kneeling down in front of her she spoke.

"Maura?" she called out quietly.

That was enough to pull Maura from her thoughts and she looked down surprised to see Jane kneeling in front of her. "Jane?" she asked as if she really needed to be sure Jane was in front of her.

"I didn't mean to startle you," Jane offered.

"You didn't. Not really anyway. Are you ok?" she asked suddenly concerned as to why Jane was awake and downstairs. "Your shoulder?"

"My shoulder is fine," Jane said. "Or as fine as a shoulder ten days after surgery can be anyway," she answered looking at Maura. "But, I'm not fine and I think you know that."

Maura was startled at Jane's admission. It was the first time since she was hurt that Jane had admitted that anything was wrong. It was also the last thing she had been expecting to come from Jane without a fight.

Jane continued, "And what's worse is that you aren't fine either and some of that is my fault. Maura, I'm sorry," Jane offered as she tried to maintain her eye contact. Most of her wanted to look away as she was ashamed of her behavior towards Maura for the last week but she needed Maura to see she meant her apology so she stayed glued to her girlfriend's eyes.

Maura wasn't quite sure what to say so she found herself saying nothing.

After a moment Jane nodded towards the open seat on the swing. "May I?" she asked.

Maura moved over a bit to give Jane enough room. "You don't ever have to ask that," she said softly. "And you don't have anything you need to say sorry for," she added.

"I wish that was true," Jane said as she carefully tried to sit down. Sitting and getting comfortable still took a little effort for her. Maura noticed Jane grimace as she tried to lean back on the swing. "Do you need a pill?" she asked. She hated the idea of Jane being in any discomfort.

"No," she said through gritted teeth more as an instinct than as an actual answer. But then she looked at Maura and conceded it hurt. "Not a pill though. They knock me out and I really only want them at night. Advil maybe?" she asked. That's what she had started doing during the day to take the edge off the pain.

Maura nodded and carefully stood up so she wouldn't make the swing move when Jane wasn't settled yet. "I'll be right back," she said and she hurried off to get Jane a couple of Advil. The interruption gave her mind a chance to get caught up to what Jane was saying and what it all could mean.

As she grabbed a couple of Advil from the downstairs bathroom medicine cabinet and a bottle of water she understood that Jane's admission that she wasn't fine meant that maybe Jane was finally ready to talk to Maura about what was going on in her head. She hoped she wasn't misreading Jane. But as she walked back out onto the deck she knew she was about to find out.

"Here," she handed Jane the Advil and after Jane popped them into her mouth Maura removed the cap on the water bottle for her and handed her the water. When Jane had finished with the water Maura put the cap back on and set the water down on the deck. She then moved to reclaim her place on the swing sitting carefully in order to keep the swing from bouncing Jane around.

"Thank you," Jane said as she waited for Maura to get settled.

A comfortable silence settled around the two. Neither seemed to be in a rush to start the conversation they both seemed to realize needed to be had. But silence between the two women was never awkward. From day one they each seemed to have an infinite amount of patience where the other woman was concerned.

It was Maura who finally spoke first. "Jane, talk to me." It was a request more than a plea.

"I'm not exactly sure if I can explain any of what is going on in my head," she started and looked into Maura's eyes. "But I can't keep shutting you out."

"No, you can't," she acknowledged softly.

"I honestly didn't mean to Maura. I'm sorry. I just can't seem to shake," she said and paused clearly at a loss for the right words.

"Shake what?" Maura asked.

"What happened at the station," Jane replied. "It bothers me more than I thought it would." She still wasn't sure she could put into words exactly what was lingering for her but she knew she needed to try.

Maura nodded, "I've never seen you react this way after an injury. You've scared me," she admitted. "I've never seen you," she paused trying to pick the right word, "this detached from the job before."

Maura never thought she would see Jane disassociate herself from the job. Being a detective was such a quintessential part of who Jane was Maura never pictured a scenario where Jane would push away from what she did. With everything Jane had been through she had never backed down before. Usually she used whatever it was as motivation to come back stronger. Better. But this time it all seemed so different for Jane. Maura just didn't understand why.

Jane dropped her eyes. "I never meant to scare you, Maur. In fact, worrying you was the last thing I wanted to do. You've got enough going on right now without having me adding to all of that. I'm supposed to be here for you not off trapped in my own head."

"Jane, we are supposed to be here for each other. One doesn't preclude the other and there are going to be times when we both are in need. This just happens to be one of those times." She reached over and took Jane's left hand in hers and gently stroked her thumb across the top of her hand. "But I will say that neither of us will get what we need if we can't talk openly about what's going on." She was speaking as much about herself as she was about Jane.

"I know," Jane admitted and released a sigh. "I'm still just not sure I know how to unjumble the mess that's in my head."

"Jane, you have to know that I don't expect you to have it all sorted out. I certainly don't expect you to have all the answers yet. What scared me wasn't that it affected you. What scares me is that you won't talk to me about it." She looked at Jane and hoped that issue was going to be fixed this morning. "The worry comes from what you don't tell me. Never from anything that you do say."

Jane sat quietly for a minute. There was a lot going on for her. Some of it she understood. But some of it she didn't. Some of it still seemed just a little too far out of her reach to get a handle on. But she needed to start talking it out and Maura was the only person she would ever do that with. Maybe by telling her part of it, the rest would just come. So, Jane started with what she could verbalize. "I can't get her voice out of my head," Jane said dropping her eyes for the first time since they started talking. "I've never..." and she was quiet again for a minute.

Maura gently squeezed Jane's hand in hers to offer reassurance that she was still there. Listening. But she knew Jane well enough to know not to interrupt yet. Jane would get it out in her own time.

"She's always been there for the aftermath. The phone calls from Frankie or Vince. Or the ones from you. The waiting for updates from doctors or nurses. The uncertainty that comes with all those 'critical post-op hours.' The recovery and rehab phases. She's always had to carry the worry and fear with her but up until last week she's never had to be an actual witness to it."

"Your mother?" Maura asked now understanding part of what was bothering Jane.

Jane nodded. "She saw the whole thing this time Maura. She stood there and watched some kid shoot me."

Maura hadn't really stopped to think about what Angela being present might have done to Jane. She had talked with Angela while Jane was in surgery. Heard from Angela what she saw and how she felt. She could sympathize with Angela. She, too, had seen Jane shot. She had seen Jane attacked by Hoyt and almost killed. She had even seen Jane tied up and almost raped. So she had some idea of how watching Jane get shot felt to Angela.

But in many ways she didn't. She loved Jane of that there was no doubt. Most of Jane's really traumatic injuries occurred when their relationship with still existing on the friendship plateau but from almost day one there was a genuine love for the woman. So it hurt Maura to have to witness each injury Jane had suffered. But her love for Jane was nothing compared to the love Angela had for her daughter. The bond between Angela and Jane had always been strong.

"You should talk to her," Maura said. Jane had shut out Angela as completely as she had shut out Maura. Maura had noticed Jane seemed to resist Angela's efforts to smother her more than usual. Thinking back on the interactions, Maura now understood that guilt may be playing a part in their relationship now. Jane seemed to feel guilty about having Angela do any kind act for her almost as if she felt she didn't deserve it.

"I know," she answered quietly. "But I don't know what to say. How do I ever make that right?" she asked Jane genuinely unsure of how to go about talking with her mother.

"Why do you think you need to make anything right?" Maura wasn't sure where that came from. "You certainly didn't get shot on purpose Jane."

"She shouldn't have ever had to see that. It was always bad enough that she worried about me every single day but now, how do I take the fear away for her when I can't even promise that something like that couldn't ever happen again?" She looked at Maura with eyes pleading for an answer.

"Maybe," Maura said, "maybe Angela doesn't expect you to promise it won't happen again. She knows who you are Jane. What you do. I haven't seen anything this week that suggests that she wants you to stop doing something that you love. I'm not sure she needs promises about a future you can't give her. But I do know she needs to be able to discuss her fears with you." She looked back at Jane before she finished her thought hoping she wasn't crossing a line. "You haven't allowed her to do that Jane."

Jane closed her eyes and sighed. After a minute she nodded her head. "She needs that, doesn't she?"

Maura squeezed Jane's hand again. 'Yes, she does. So does anyone who loves you." It wasn't only Angela who needed to be able to talk to Jane about what happened. Frankie, Tommy, Vince and Barry all had things they needed and wanted to say to Jane but were simply afraid to try still. After a few moments Maura spoke again. "Talk to her Jane."

That elicited another nod from Jane. Maura wasn't sure when Jane would finally do so but that nod of hers was all she needed to know that Jane would, when she was ready, have the conversations with the others that needed to be had.

As Maura studied Jane she knew there was more going on inside her head. Something else was there. Jane's concern about her mother was just the tip of the iceberg and Maura wondered if anymore would be revealed that morning. She doubted it. But it was a start and she would take that. She knew Jane and was confident once the first domino fell it was only a matter of time before the others soon followed.

It was now Jane's turn to break the silence that had resettled between them. "Why aren't you sleeping?" she asked quietly.

"I was asleep," Maura answered almost as a reflex.

"Maura," Jane replied immediately. When Maura didn't offer a response Jane filled in the answer. "Tell me about the nightmare."

That surprised Maura. She was sure Jane had slept through all her nightmares over the last week. "How did you…"

"Because I know you. I should have realized it sooner. The pain meds might knock me out but they don't make me blind. You're nose-jug thingys are dark. You haven't been sleeping. What's going on in that beautiful genius mind of yours?" she asked with nothing but compassion.

"Nasojugal fold," Maura corrected without really thinking about it.

Jane simply waited for an answer.

Finally Maura conceded. "There are a couple of different versions but its all basically the same," she started.

It was Jane's turn to squeeze Maura's hand reassuringly. "So tell me about tonight's," she asked.

Maura took a deep breath and recounted the details of her nightmare. She told Jane everything. Being called as a witness for Patrick. Jane's reaction including pulling her hand away. The attorney's objection and how he claimed no one wanted Maura. She gave every detail she could remember.

She hadn't realized that somewhere in the middle of recounting the dream she had started to cry. Not heavy sobs but the tears were trickling down her cheeks nonetheless. She hadn't even really been aware of Jane's attempts at wiping any of them away. But she had. Several times. In fact, it wasn't until she had finished telling Jane the scope of the dream that she realized she had been crying.

Suddenly aware of it, she wiped a few tears away herself. "I'm sorry," she said.

"For what?" Jane asked not really sure what the woman had to be sorry about.

"I shouldn't let a dream get to me like this. I mean, I know it's just a dream so I should," she started to ramble but Jane cut her off.

"Maura stop," she said strongly. She gently placed her left hand under Maura's chin and forced the ME to look into her eyes. Maura saw nothing but love and compassion reflecting back at her. "Don't ever feel like you have to apologize for how you feel. Nightmares are upsetting. Trust me, I know. And you're right, they are just dreams. But that doesn't mean they can't hurt you."

Jane went to move closer into Maura trying to pull her into a one arm hug. Maura stopped her when she saw Jane flinch.

"Damn it," Jane muttered under her breath.

"What?" Maura asked concerned suddenly that Jane hurt her shoulder.

"This goddamn arm brace is keeping me from being able to do the one thing I really, really need to do right now," she muttered.

"And what's that?" Maura asked.

"Wrap you tightly into my arms," Jane answered with a hint of annoyance with herself. "Sometimes all I can think to do for you is hold you until the demons go away but," she said looking down at the arm securely strapped to her side, "I'm not really able to do that right now and it sucks."

Maura watched as Jane tried to lean forward towards Maura again only to stop and wince again. She sighed in frustration. "This really sucks Maura," she whined.

Assessing the situation Maura had a thought. "Sit back against the swing," she instructed. "Slowly."

Jane complied and shifted herself slowly so that her back rested against the back of the swing. Once she was settled, Maura curled herself into Jane's left side and wrapped Jane's left arm around her as best she could. Once she was sure this wasn't hurting Jane, she burrowed herself into Jane as closely as she could.

"Better?" she asked Jane.

"It's not everything I want to give you, but it's a start," Jane answered back.

Maura wrapped both her arms around Jane's waist and rested her head on Jane's good shoulder. Jane used her left hand to gently run her fingers through Maura's hair. They let silence overtake them again for a few minutes.

"I'm not even going to dignify the 'no one wants you' part of your dream, Maur. You are loved. By Ma. By the boys. By Frost and Korsak. By your parents. And unconditionally by me. Never doubt that," Jane whispered into Maura's ear.

"And I'm telling you right now, you could take the stand and defend Patrick Doyle with all your might and I would still love you. I would still want you. There is nothing you could ever do or say that will change that fact. I will never pull away from you. Ever."

Jane tenderly kissed Maura's forehead. Maura simply burrowed further into Jane. They stayed that way that morning until well after the sunrise. As in each other's arms as they could manage given the limitations. And it was enough for them both.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Jane, over the last few days, had found she spent the first few hours in the morning after Maura had gone to work sitting outside on the deck playing with Jo and attempting to interact with Bass. She would grab a few of Jo's chew toys and head out onto the deck with Jo jumping against her leg in excited anticipation. Jane knew Jo had no idea what was going on and why Jane was suddenly home during the day but she was pretty sure the dog didn't care. Jo just seemed to love the added attention.

Bass was a bit of a different story. Usually when they decided to take the kids out into the backyard to play, Bass would get carried out and placed onto the lawn. But Jane wasn't able to pick up Bass and she never seemed to remember to ask Maura to take him out before she left for work. Even if she had, Jane wouldn't have been able to get Bass back inside and never wanted him to be stuck outside all day long. So instead of a lift down to the grass, Bass needed to make his way onto the deck on his own. Which, Jane found out, could take a significantly long time. Speedy Gonzalez her boy was not.

She felt bad. She wasn't trying to avoid giving equal attention to the tortoise but she had found that as she settled onto the top step of the deck she got in a good half an hour of fetch with Jo before the tortoise made his actual appearance outside. And even then, Bass was stuck up on the deck since Jane couldn't help him get down the stairs. She felt guilty shortchanging him like she was.

But eventually, Bass would wander up to Jane and simply pull up a seat next to his adopted Mom. His efforts to join his sister outside were at least rewarded with several strawberries. And Jane made sure she explained each and every morning how sorry she was that she couldn't lift him down onto the grass. Sometimes Jane wondered if he really didn't mind staying up near her. At least up on the deck Jo left him alone. She was too into retrieving a chew or running around wild to notice her brother was getting treats and some quiet time with Mom.

So this is how Frost found his partner on that morning. He had knocked on the front door but not getting a response he headed towards the side of the house to try knocking on the side entrance. When he heard Jo bark and Jane laugh he knew she was in the backyard and continued that way.

"Jane?" he called out when he was almost at the gate.

"In the back," she yelled out and he opened the gate and entered into the backyard.

He was greeted immediately by a wound up dog. He bent down to let Jo mug him. "Hey Jo," he said as the perky pup showered him with dog kisses. "She's certainly excited," he said to Jane as he stood up wiping off the remnants of her greeting from his face.

Jane snickered. "She's a spaz."

Barry continued his way towards the deck and took a seat next to Jane on the opposite side of Bass. "Hey Bass," he greeted not wanting to ignore the turtle. Bass had always seemed to like Frost and turned his head towards the sound of Frost's voice and stared back. A very Bass like greeting.

"And he's the strong silent type," Jane notated and again snickered.

Frost had brought a file with him and as he finished looking over at Bass he placed it down on the deck. "And yet, they suit you both," he said. Both pets seemed to fit the Rizzoli-Isles dynamic quite well.

"It works," she replied back. "Do you want coffee or something?"

She hadn't talked to Frost in a couple days outside a few random text messages. Everyone was over to the house for dinner the first night Jane was out of the hospital but that had been the last time Jane had seen her partner. He hadn't made last night's Rizzoli Sunday dinner.

"No thanks," he said and stretched his legs out in front of him. He knew what he wanted to talk with Jane about. But he still wasn't sure the best way of going about having the conversation.

Jane was tricky sometimes. Say the wrong thing and she would clam up. He'd tested the water with her all week with text messages but couldn't quite tell where her head was. Even when he stopped by the lab Friday to ask Maura about Jane he didn't walk away from the conversation feeling as if he had any better idea if she was ready for what he wanted to do or not.

So here he sat. Next to his friend and partner and he wasn't quite sure what to do or say.

Jane, sensing his hesitation, let him off the hook. "How are things at the station?" she asked. It was the first time she had initiated a work related conversation with anyone in ten days.

Frost had to fight the smile he wanted to release. He knew if Jane was asking work related questions he was just that much closer to getting her back. "Quiet," he answered honestly.

Frost had a good chemistry with Korsak and he liked the man. He trusted him and would do anything for him. But Jane was his partner. And he missed her.

"Have you beat Vince at chess yet?" she asked teasingly.

"No," he huffed. "And I can't get him to play anything else with me because he knows I'd win any other game. We didn't even play hangman last week," he added. That was 'their' game. The three of them. Both he and Korsak agreed it wasn't right to play without Jane.

"Keep practicing at chess, you'll get there. Play Tommy a few more times. You really are getting better at the strategy part of the game. At some point, Vince will underestimate you and that's when you will make your move," she said. She had resumed her game of fetch with Jo and was watching out into the yard more than she was making eye contact with Frost.

"And you?" he asked. He had never even come close to beating Jane at chess. He sometimes wondered exactly how smart Jane really was. She tried to hide it but Frost knew Jane's intelligence ran deeper than she let on.

Jane smiled and looked at Frost. "You beat Vince first and then we will proceed down that epic battle road my friend."

He liked that answer. All this week he had a nagging fear that Jane was retreating from everyone and everything. Especially the job. He couldn't shake his concern that this incident may have finally been the one that broke Jane Rizzoli and made her quit. If she was offering to take him on in chess at a future date, that meant more than just a chess match to him. That meant she was planning on still being in his life. Maybe even still being his partner. And that meant everything to him.

"Deal," he said with a smile. "Of course, we may all be drawing on our pensions by the time that happens," he added with a snicker.

"Just save me a seat at the retirement community," she said returning his smile.

For the first time in a week, Barry Frost visibly relaxed.

R&I

"Dr. Isles?" an intern popped his head into Maura's office looking for her.

"Yes, Jamie?" she replied looking up from the report she was preparing.

"The duty office accidentally dialed the lab instead of your office. You have a visitor waiting for you upstairs," the intern notified his boss.

"Did they say who it was?" she asked. She hadn't been expecting anyone and over the last few days she had found several reporters had tried the 'Visitor' trick on her in their attempts to corner her for an interview.

"He said the person is your sister," the intern answered.

_Cailin?_ Maura thought to herself. She nodded at the intern. "Thank you Jamie," she said dismissing him. She finished up what she was writing for the report and she headed upstairs.

As she entered the lobby she looked over at the duty officer who pointed towards the cafe. Maura made her way into the cafe and immediately spotted Cailin. Cailin was sitting at a table looking a bit anxious but she did smile when she saw Maura. Maura returned the smile and made her way over to Cailin's table.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything important," Cailin started as soon as Maura sat down. "Maybe I should have called first," she said suddenly doubting her decision to come see Maura.

"This is fine, Cailin," Maura said softly trying to calm her anxiety a bit. "Really," she said and reached over to place her hand on top of her sister's.

The gesture and contact seemed to help and Cailin relaxed into her chair. "It's just," she started but paused. "I read about Jane in the paper. I wanted to see if she was ok. If you were ok." She looked up at Maura to gauge Maura's reaction. Not seeing any negativity from Maura she continued. "I mean, I know we aren't exactly close or anything and I know I don't have a right to be asking but you are….well you are my..."

"Sister," Maura finished her thought.

"Well, yeah," replied Cailin. "I mean, I even have part of you inside of me."

Maura smiled. She liked Cailin. Their first few interactions had been rough and no one took the reality of Maura being Hope's daughter well when it was first revealed. But since that fallout the few times Maura and Cailin were alone together had all been positive and somewhat productive.

It started when Cailin showed up in Maura's hospital room after the kidney transplant. Maura had experienced complications and had been in the hospital longer than anyone anticipated. One night around 2 am, Maura woke up to find Cailin had wheeled herself into her room.

Hope hadn't told Cailin the donor was Maura. After her first refusal of Maura's help, Hope hadn't wanted to chance it. Enough time had passed that Cailin just assumed they had found another donor. But Cailin had seen Jane walking down the hallway and quickly pieced it together that Jane was at the hospital to be with Maura. Maura who had just donated a kidney.

They had a long talk that night and Cailin had apologized for treating Maura poorly. She said she was hurt and confused but shouldn't have taken it out on Maura. Maura easily forgave her. They had been on stronger ground since then but because of Hope their interaction with each other was still quite limited.

"Cailin, you are my sister. You have every right to ask me how I am. How Jane is," Maura offered.

That made Cailin smile again. It was clear she wanted to try to be at least friends with Maura. "So, is Jane alright?" Cailin liked Jane and loved that Maura and Jane were a couple.

"Jane's recovering," Maura answered not wanting to really get into the details.

"The paper said she was shot in the arm? Was there any nerve damage? I mean, with her being a cop and all…"

"She was actually shot in the shoulder," Maura clarified. "Several of the bullet fragments came close to the axillary nerve but no permanent damage was done. Luckily for Jane it was her right shoulder," Maura noticed Cailin's confused look at that. "Jane's left handed," she clarified. "The doctors are all optimistic that after her rehab she will be 100%."

"Good," Cailin answered with sincerity. "That must be a hard thing to go through."

Maura didn't answer right away. She knew Jane was still suffering from something the shooting triggered but she wasn't going to discuss that with her younger sister. "Jane's pretty resilient."

"It has to be tough on you, too," Cailin offered up. "I mean, knowing the woman you love has such a dangerous job. That can't be easy."

Maura thought about that for a minute. "It's hard. But being a detective is more than just what Jane does. It's part of who she is. And I do love her and that means I love all of her. Even her dangerous job."

"Would you tell her I hope she gets better quickly?" Cailin asked.

"Of course," Maura answered. "Now, how are you?"

"I'm good," she offered up. "There doesn't seem to be any signs of rejection and I'm almost back to 100% myself."

"That's wonderful," Maura said and meant it. "How is school going?"

"It's been crazy but good. I didn't fall too far behind because of the surgery and my professors all agreed to let me make up the labs over the summer. That helps me alot. I should be completely caught up by the end of the summer."

"I'm really happy for you," Maura answered. She knew Cailin was studying to become a doctor like her mother. Maura paused before broaching her next question. "And your mother?"

Cailin couldn't quite hide her surprise at Maura's calling Hope only her mother. At 19, she hadn't quite mastered a poker face. "Ummm," Cailin started but didn't quite know how to answer.

"Cailin?" coaxed Maura.

"She's ok," Cailin offered up weakly.

"Cailin," Maura pushed.

Cailin sighed. "I'm worried about her," she admitted to Maura. She wasn't even sure she should be having this conversation with Maura. It certainly didn't seem quite fair but she really didn't know who else she could talk to.

"Why?" Maura asked with reservations. Walking down the 'Hope' road with Cailin had been nothing but disastrous to this point and Maura wasn't sure if she really wanted to try doing it again.

"She's been…. off lately. I think she's really worried about his trial," she admitted.

"Oh," was all Maura offered.

"Maura," Cailin started now pretty sure she shouldn't even be talking about this with her. "Do you think...I mean do you know what she could be so worried about? Is there something she's afraid will come out in his trial about her?"

In truth, Maura didn't know the answer to that. The government had managed to get the grand jury testimony, the discovery evidence, the details to the numerous counts all sealed. There was a gag order for all known participants for the upcoming trial as well. The media had very sparse access to charges, evidence and expected testimony for the case. It was part of what was fueling some of the media frenzy. The media was up in arms and screaming violations of their First Amendment rights while both sides successfully argued that before the trial was heard and decided any flow of information would taint the jury pool and could be detrimental to both sides. A judge had ruled all material would be sealed until the conclusion of the hearing.

Maura had never asked any questions about anyone else's testimony to the AUSA during her trial prep sessions. She only knew what Jane would and could testify to and that was simply because she had lived through it with Jane. And Jane was the only person she really talked about what her testimony was going to cover.

So, she had no real idea what Hope Martin could or couldn't testify to. She wasn't even sure if Hope was set to be a witness. For either side of the court. She just didn't know.

"I'm sorry Cailin. I can't help you with that." And it was an honest answer.

Cailin nodded her disappointed understanding. "I understand. Are you…"

"I'm not going to answer that question either," Maura cut her off not even letting her finish.

"I'm sorry," she said quickly.

"It's alright. But you have to understand that the people involved in that, well we all have been ordered not to discuss it. So, it's best if we just don't. Understand?"

"Yeah," she said. "Can I ask one more thing- not about that- before I let you get back to work?"

"Sure," Maura answered.

"Do you think we could, maybe, have lunch or something together next week? If I promise not to bring up subjects you don't, or can't, talk about? I'd really like a chance for us to get to know each other."

Maura smiled, "Next week probably won't work for me," she started. "But how about we set up something for two weeks from today?"

Cailin's whole face lit up. "Two weeks from today? That would be great."

R&I

Jane and Frost moved from the deck into the kitchen when Jane finally seemed to wear out Jo. She kept the screen door open so that Bass could eventually wander his way back into the house.

"Did you need me to get Bass for you?" Frost offered realizing why Jane had left the door open.

Jane smiled. "No, thanks though. I think we've started to perfect a system here. Bass will come in when he's ready. He may just want to enjoy the outdoors without Jo for a few minutes."

They both looked over at a now passed out dog sleeping on the family room floor. Both snickered. Jane reached into the refrigerator and grabbed two bottles of water. She walked over to Frost and nodded for him to take both bottles.

He understood what she needed and undid the cap on her bottle of water for her without her having to actually ask. He handed her the bottle and they both leaned up against the kitchen island.

"Aren't you supposed to be working?" Jane asked looking at the time.

"I'm right where I'm supposed to be right now," he answered looking back at Jane. He was trying to decide if he should push her a little harder.

Jane nodded and took a drink of water. They stood side by side in silence for a few minutes.

Frost finally gave in and decided to test the water. "So," he said. "the Franklin case." He let it linger out there to see what Jane's reaction might be. To that point she hadn't asked for a single case update.

Jane stayed quiet. She knew what Frost was trying to do. But she was very unsure about what she wanted. Part of her wanted to know where they were at with the case. But part of her still didn't. Didn't really want to think about the job. For the first time in her life, she was unsure if she wanted to continue.

Frost wasn't quite sure how to interpret Jane's silence. She hadn't shied away from him or the topic but she wasn't encouraging him to continue to speak on the subject either. He finally decided to dive into the pool and deal with the fallout if there was any when it happened.

"We found the murder weapon in Lansing's bedroom. Stuffed under his mattress if you can believe that. Ballistics confirmed it was the gun used to shoot Gina." Frost watched Jane as he talked. She continued to just lean against the counter and he couldn't discern any reaction from her at all. That confused him even more. "Cavanaugh is ready to close the file." He added.

It was his tone during that last statement that finally cracked through Jane's seeming indifference. She turned to look at him. "And you're not?"

Frost shrugged his shoulders. "There's still just something that feels off about it," he answered. "I can't figure out what but not all the pieces seem to add up."

"Did you figure out who 'they' are?" she asked. Both Lansing and Eric Franklin made references to an unknown group of people.

Frost shook his head. "Korsak and I couldn't find anything." They had looked through everything at both Franklin and Lansing's homes. Computers. Phones. Financials. But they couldn't find anything to suggest some mysterious 'they' that Eric or Kevin seemed to be referring to.

"With nothing on that end and a ballistics match, Cavanaugh will close this case," Jane answered. She knew the lieutenant wouldn't have a choice. The murder weapon found. A ballistics match and the suspect no longer able to offer any defense or alternative. The department had limited resources and there seemed to be no reasonable excuse to keep the case open.

Frost finished his water and turned to Jane. "I should get going. Do you need anything before I go?"

She smiled. "No, I'm good." She walked Frost to the front door. "Frost," she said as she opened the door, "thanks for stopping by." She was happy to see him. She missed him. And Vince.

Frost almost asked when she was coming back but at the last second he stopped. He'd pushed her enough for one day. "Anytime partner. I'll call you later this week."

Jane made her way back into the kitchen and saw that Bass had wandered back into the house. She walked over to close the screen door and as she approached the door she noticed the file sitting out on the deck. She walked out on the deck and picked it up and saw the label.

**_13-01876 Gina Franklin_**

Holding the file Jane knew immediately that Frost had left it behind on purpose. She carried it into the house without opening it. Setting it instead on the kitchen island as she walked into the family room to watch some TV.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Just how long Jane had been asleep on the couch she wasn't sure of. She hadn't even remembered being tired enough to have fallen asleep. But somewhere in the middle of ESPN's SportsCenter, she had fallen asleep.

Her realization of this came only when she tried to move on the couch and a pain shot through her shoulder forcibly waking her up. She let the pain fade before she gently eased herself up into a seated position on the couch. She looked around trying to figure out just how long she had been asleep, what time it currently was and how a blanket had managed to find its way over her.

She fumbled for her phone to check the time. It was just after 2 in the afternoon. To her best recollection, she remembered settling on ESPN around 11 am. That at least gave her an idea about how long she had been asleep but it hadn't provided an explanation about the blanket yet.

She was greeted with that answer by the voice calling out to her from the kitchen.

"Now that you are awake, you should take your meds and eat something."

_Ma._

Jane couldn't help but smirk. She should have known the blanket was from her mother. Jane ran her hand across her eyes to wipe the last of the sleep away and slowly stood up.

"I only take pain pills at night to help me sleep," Jane answered. "But I could do with a few Advil." She heard her mother make her way into the downstairs bathroom knowing that she was all too happy to be of some help.

Jane made her way into the kitchen and waited for her mother to re-enter with the Advil. The pain from her shoulder was getting better daily. She actually thought she might have been able to avoid taking anything that day but the jostle she just did on the couch had made the Advil a necessity. She had wanted to get to the point where she could stop taking the pain meds at night but found herself unable to get comfortable or sleep without them still.

"Thanks," Jane said as Angela handed her two Advil.

Angela pulled out a bottle of water from the refrigerator and took off the cap for Jane before handing it to her.

"Thanks again," Jane said with a smile.

"How was your nap?" Angela asked as she took in her daughter.

Jane felt her mother's eyes scanning over her from top to bottom. She understood it. She even knew she kind of deserved the scrutiny. She hadn't exactly been available for her mother over the last week. In truth, she had been trying to avoid the woman as much as possible.

"It was good until I moved wrong," Jane replied.

Angela nodded. "Are you supposed to be sleeping on the couch? Doesn't that increase the likelihood of causing you pain?" she asked as her eyes drifted to the arm sling that still immobilized Jane's right arm.

"It's probably not ideal to sleep on the couch," Jane admitted. She hadn't napped on the couch since she had come home. The few times earlier in the week she did want to sleep in the afternoon she had gone upstairs and into bed. "I really hadn't planned on falling asleep this afternoon."

"You were out when I came in so you must have needed it," Angela said. "Aren't you sleeping at night?"

"I'm good at night. The meds knock me out," she answered. Which was true. As Jane replayed the morning she finally figured out that this morning had been the first time she had been awake before 8 am all week. She didn't realize that getting up and talking with Maura would have disrupted her sleep as much as it seemed to have done.

"Have you eaten?" Angela asked.

Jane recognized the look on Angela's face. It was the 'I really need to do something for you' look. Jane suddenly felt very safe in that kitchen with her mother. She smiled. "No actually, I haven't." She watched as her mother tried hard not to smile at the idea of being able to do something for her afraid Jane might misinterpret the smile as her being happy Jane's hadn't eaten.

"Can I fix something for you?" Angela asked softly.

Jane nodded. "Our kitchen is at your disposal. Have at it."

Angela's whole face lit up with that answer. This was the most Jane had let her do since the shooting. She hurried herself over to the refrigerator examining her options.

Jane moved herself over to a stool at the kitchen island and sat down. She let her mother have a few minutes to gather what now looked like the entire contents of their refrigerator. As she watched Angela she couldn't help but hear her mother's voice in her head again. That scream. That fear. That sound. She had to force herself to get it out of her head.

"Ma," she said quietly. "I'm sorry."

Angela froze and stood with her back to Jane. She didn't turn around for a few moments. But then, finally, she did. She had an armful of containers and jars. And she had tears trickling down her cheeks.

Jane continued. "You should never have had to see what happened."

Angela put down all she held in her arms and walked over towards Jane. There were things she needed to say to her daughter but she wasn't completely convinced Jane was ready to hear them. She didn't want to hurt her further by forcing a conversation if Jane wasn't really ready for it.

"You shouldn't have had to go through it," she replied quietly. Her daughter had been through enough in her life that Angela just didn't understand why more continued to happen to her.

"True," Jane answered. "But it happened nonetheless. I'm sorry you saw it."

"I've never been so scared in my entire life," she half whispered. "I mean, you've scared me before. You. Frankie. Tommy. I've been frightened by the things you all have been through before. But this. This…." she let her voice die off.

"This was different," Jane finished her thought. She watched as all Angela could do was nod her head. "This happened right in front of you."

With that the walls Angela had tried to hold together since the shooting crumbled and she started crying. A hard, heartbreaking cry. Jane was immediately at her side attempting to comfort her as best she could with still just the one usable arm. She let her mother cry. It was the least she could do for the woman.

Angela finally got her sobs under control and was able to pull back and look at Jane. "I thought…." she started but didn't complete her thought.

"I might die?" Jane asked quietly

Angela didn't verbalize her agreement but she did nod her head.

"But I didn't," Jane pointed out.

"You could've," Angela slightly argued.

"Ma," Jane said as she captured her mother's eyes and refused to release them. "I"m sorry you had to watch me get hurt. I really am. But I can't take it back or change it no matter how much I want to." She held her mother's eyes knowing what she wanted to say next her mother really needed to hear. "I'll understand if you can't..."

Angela cut Jane off before she could finish. "Stop. Right now," she said in a tone Jane hadn't heard since she was a kid getting in trouble for antagonizing Tommy about something. Angela wiped away the last of the tears that had fallen and she looked at Jane.

"I hate that your job is dangerous. I hate that you've been hurt as many times as you have. I hate that I worry about you every single day. I hate that your brother looked up to you so much that he has followed in your footsteps and now I have the same fears for him."

Jane dropped her eyes from Angela's. This was the backlash she was expecting to hear.

Angela put her right hand under Jane's chin and forced her to look back up as she continued. "But," she said and paused to make sure Jane was listening to her. "I'm so proud of the work that you do. I'm so proud of the families you help. I'm so proud of your willingness to put yourself in harm's way in order to protect others. I am so very proud of who you are." Jane felt her own tears falling before she was really aware of the fact that she was now crying. "This life, all you have done, it's not the life I would have chosen for you. But it is the life you were meant to lead."

Angela very carefully pulled Jane into an embrace being careful not to touch her injured shoulder.

"Thank you," was all Jane could manage.

R&I

_I'm heading home soon. Is there anything you need? -M_

_Just your beautiful smile. -J_

R&I

Maura had just finished shutting down her desktop when her office line rang. "Dr. Isles," she answered.

"Dr. Isles," a voice Maura recognized as Officer Henderson sounded over the phone. "I hate to bother you but it appears that you have another visitor."

Maura sighed. She was almost out the door to get home to see Jane. She had no idea who else was trying to see her. "Officer Henderson," she started, "if it's anyone that looks like a reporter tell them I'm gone for the day." Two had already tried to see her earlier in the day.

Henderson smirked. He knew the press attention was annoying the medical examiner. "I assure you Dr. Isles, I'd have already sent those vultures packing if I thought they were reporters." The two who tried to get down to see Maura earlier had waited until Henderson was on lunch to try to get a pass down to the morgue. "This lady says her name is Dr. Hope Martin."

Maura felt a sudden dread which first surprised her then infuriated her. She wasn't sure why she let just the notion of seeing Hope throw her.

"Dr. Isles?" asked Henderson. "Would you like me to tell Dr. Martin that you have gone for the evening?"

Maura released a breath she didn't realize she was holding. "No," Maura answered. Thinking for a minute she then gave instruction. "Will you please send Dr. Martin down to my office?"

"Yes, Ma'am," Henderson replied and disconnected his call.

Maura grabbed her phone and typed a quick message.

_Got held up at the last minute. I'll text when I'm actually leaving. -M_

After sending the message Maura returned to her chair and sat down. She stared at her door with anticipation all the while trying to steel her nerves. Given previous encounters she was not optimistic about what was about to transpire.

R&I

Jane read Maura's message and wondered what caused her delay. She looked up at her mother. "Maura's been delayed," she said. Angela had planned on staying to spend some time with both Jane and Maura before heading over to Sean's for the night. "You can head over to Sean's now if you want. I'm not sure how long Maura will be. If there's an issue with a lab or a report it could be awhile."

"I can stay," she said just a little too quickly.

"Ma," Jane said. "Go. Tell Sean I said hello," she said with a smile.

"Are you sure?" Angela hesitated.

"Go," Jane answered back. "I'm fine."

Both woman stood and Jane walked Angela over to the side entrance. Angela leaned in again for a side hug, still avoiding Jane's injured shoulder, and Jane, to her credit, didn't wiggle out of the hug. She knew her mother needed the contact and confirmation. They said their goodbyes and Jane headed back into the kitchen to figure out what she and Maura were going to do for dinner.

As she entered the kitchen her eyes drifted to the police file that was still sitting on the island.

**_13-01876 Gina Franklin_**

She let herself stare at the unopened file for a few moments and then she turned her attention to what pre-made dinner she should pull from the freezer for the night.

R&I

A soft knock on her door was what signaled Maura that Hope had made her way down to her office. "Come in," she said loud enough for Hope to hear her. Normally she would be up and greeting her visitors. Normally. But Hope wasn't a typical visitor and for some reason Maura felt better keeping her desk in between the two of them.

"Maura?" Hope said gently as she entered Maura's office. "I'm sorry to barge in on you like this. Thank you for seeing me," she said. She was clearly nervous as she slowly made her way into Maura's office.

Maura indicated for Hope to take a seat. "What can I do for you?" she asked not hiding the reserve in her tone.

"I was wondering how Detective Rizzoli was doing," she stated. Both women knew that wasn't the real reason for Hope's visit.

"Jane is recovering," Maura gave as her only answer. In all of their previous interactions Hope had given no indication that she had any issues with Maura's lifestyle or with Jane. But, Maura wasn't about to get into an indepth conversation with Hope about Jane.

"Oh," Hope stuttered. "I mean, I'm glad. From what I read in the paper I couldn't tell how serious Jane's injuries were. It sounded like such an awful situation."

"It was tragic," Maura answered. She sat and waited for Hope to get to her actual point because it certainly wasn't discussing Jane's situation.

After a bit of an awkward silence, Hope spoke. "I understand that Cailin stopped by earlier today."

"Yes, she did," Maura gave as a short answer.

"That's nice," she paused. "I mean nice that the two of you can talk."

Maura was now completely unsure of what Hope really wanted from her this time. Running out of patience she decided to be a bit more blunt. "Hope, what exactly is it that you wanted to see me about?"

Hope fidgeted with her hands trying to avoid direct eye contact with Maura. "I wanted to know….to ask….if Cailin had asked you about Patrick," she finally got out.

Maura couldn't help feeling a little indignant, "Frankly Hope, what Cailin and I discuss is really not of your concern. If that was all, then I think it's time for you to leave. I was on my way out."

"Maura," Hope said with a sudden plea in her voice. "I can't have Cailin pulled into all of this. She hasn't done anything to get dragged into the middle of such a scandal."

That was enough to set Maura off. "Oh, _Cailin_ hasn't done anything to get pulled into the middle of a scandal. _Cailin!_ What about me Hope? What did I ever do to end up in the middle of this 'scandal' as you call it? Oh wait, I forgot. You don't care about me. As long as Cailin is ok that's all that matters to you. She's your actual daughter after all. The one you had on purpose. Let's all make sure Cailin is ok. That she's cared for. That she's loved. That all her organs are fully functional. To hell with everyone else. Or more accurately, to hell with me!" It was a fury of words Maura had released and it even surprised her.

"Maura, that's not what I…" Hope tried but Maura cut her off.

"I think it would be best if you left, Dr. Marten," she said in a cold tone.

"Maura please. This wasn't how I wanted any of this to go," Hope pleaded with Maura. She had wanted to discuss something important with Maura.

But it was too late. Maura was done. With stone dead eyes she glared at Hope from behind her desk. "Goodbye Dr. Marten."

The silence that fell between the two ladies was deafening. Finally, Hope stood up and walked out of Maura's office not sure how things had gone so bad so quickly.

R&I

_Coming home. -M_

_That was quick. See you soon. XOX -J_

R&I

It took a little extra time and effort but Jane was able to rummage around the freezer and remove what she decided they could have for dinner. She found herself wondering whether she would ever tire of her mother's lasagna but then immediately dismissed the idea. As she shifted items around on the kitchen countertop she was again grateful that it was her right shoulder that was hurt and not her left. There were still a few things that she wasn't able to manage but for the most part she was able to get dinner started. She knew Maura would take care of the things that really did require two hands.

The ringing of the front doorbell surprised her. She hadn't thought anyone else would stop by that day. She had already seen her mother and Frost. She knew Tommy and Frankie were both working and both of them would have just walked into the house. So, she headed to the door not sure who it was going to be.

"Vince," she said surprised when she opened her door to her 'other' partner.

"Jane," he said and stood outside waiting for Jane to invite him in.

"Come in," she quickly said and stepped aside for the man to enter. They both made their way to the family room. Like Frost, Jane hadn't really seen Vince since the first night she came home from the hospital. They traded text messages less often than she did with Frost. Korsak wasn't the biggest fan of that mode of communication.

"How are you?" he asked with genuine concern.

Jane understood that was a loaded question coming from him. But, she decided to answer as honestly as she could. "I have good days and bad. I was hoping to forego pain meds and Advil today but it didn't quite work out that way."

Vince merely nodded at that. "How is the rehab?"

"Not bad yet, but we really aren't doing much. Not until the incisions fully heal anyway. It's been mostly me squeezing a rubber ball to try to help my forearm muscles. The grueling part of this will come later next week."

Both Jane and Vince had been through some version of rehab before. She knew he understood what she meant so she didn't explain any further.

"How are you doing?" she asked with the same genuine concern he had for her. Jane was aware that Vince had been standing right behind Eric when he was shot and she knew that was all still bothering him.

"I have good days and bad," he returned the answer Jane had given him. And Jane knew it was as true for him as it had been for her.

"Vince, what happened wasn't your fault," Jane said softly. She knew him well enough to know he was blaming himself.

"I should have…" he started.

"You should have done exactly what you did. You met with Eric down in the lobby to try to keep him from being nervous or scared. Any one of us would have done the same thing. You had no idea he was armed. And don't even start trying to say you should have searched him. The kid was 13 Vince. 13 and walking into a police station to report his missing sister. Not some kid on the street. Not someone we suspected of any wrongdoing. He was just a boy and I guarantee you that no one would have thought to pat him down."

He heard what she was saying and he desperately wanted to believe her. But he still had doubts. "I get that Jane, I do."

"But…." she pushed

"But after he shot Lansing, I should have…" he stopped and sighed.

This part was harder for Jane. She wasn't in the lobby when Eric shot Lansing. She had only entered with Frost after hearing the shot. But she had a feeling Vince couldn't have done anything differently.

"Vince, answer me this. And be honest. You know I respect you and I always will. No matter how you answer me." She paused to make sure he was willing to be asked what she was sure he knew was coming. "Could you have taken Eric down without the possibility of him firing a second shot?"

He was quiet for a minute. He again let the scene replay in his mind. Eric walking away from him. Eric approaching Lansing. Lansing approaching Eric. Eric yelling at Lansing. The shot. And then all available guns drawn on Eric.

"No," he finally answered.

And that, too, was the truth. Vince was the closest person to Eric Franklin when the first shot was fired but it had been so unexpected that there was simply no time to react more than pulling his gun and pointing it at the boy. Which is what he did. If he had tried to tackle or fight with the boy, he was sure the kid would shot again. Simply from fear.

And in the aftermath, he had been proven right. Eric Franklin shot the gun a second time because of fear. An officer moved toward him and it was just enough to scare him and he squeezed the trigger. Had Vince tried to subdue Eric after the first shot the kid would have fired that gun again just the same.

"Then that's the only thing you need to remember. And you need to forgive yourself. You weren't responsible for what happened Vince." Jane said with a renewed strength to her voice.

They all had moments, cases, that didn't end how they wanted them to. That ended with tragedy instead of a positive resolution. This would always be one for Vince. But Jane was convinced that he had no reason to blame himself. Just as she knew no one else did.

Vince nodded again. This time, however, it was not nearly as reserved. He wasn't passed it. It would haunt him for awhile. The boy was 13. How could it not? But Jane could see that he was starting to let go some of the blame. And that was always the first step towards healing.

They were both quiet for a minute when Vince broke the silence to ask the question everyone wanted to know the answer to but no one had been willing to ask.

"Are you coming back?" he said and looked Jane square in the eyes.

Surprisingly Jane held Korsak's eyes as the question registered with her. Truthfully, she was surprised he was the first to ask it. Not even Maura had ventured down this road yet. But she knew they were all thinking about it. Wondering.

She just didn't have that answer yet.

Maintaining her eye contact, she gave him the only one she did have. "I really don't know."


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

The tension caused by her encounter with Hope had not worked itself out for Maura before getting home as she had hoped. Her mind was still reeling as she parked her car and walked into the house.

"Jane?" she called out. The sound of her voice sparked the expected greeting from Jo who came charging in from the kitchen. Maura bent down and let Jo go crazy with kisses knowing this made her feel as good getting as Jo appeared from giving.

"Kitchen," responded Jane as Maura straightened up. She glanced around for Bass but he wasn't in the immediate vicinity. She walked into the kitchen to find Jane.

She was greeted by a wet wash rag and a tender kiss from Jane. A kiss she couldn't help but giggle through.

"Jane, the hygenic benefits behind the wash rag works so much better if you actually allow me to use it before you get your hello kiss," she said as she used the rag to wipe off the aftermath of a Jo greeting.

Jane smiled. "I live dangerously. It was worth the risk," she said and settled in for another kiss. This one lingered a bit between the two as neither seemed really much for pulling back. "Hi," Jane said as the kiss finally ended and each stepped a bit back.

"Hi," she said with a forced smile.

But it didn't fool Jane. "What?" Jane asked suddenly full of concern.

Maura sighed. "I had visitors today," she answered without enthusiasm telling Jane almost all she needed know.

"Together or separate?" was all she asked Maura.

Maura looked at her for a minute trying to figure out how Jane seemed to know who she was talking about.

"You only get that look on your face when it's something to do with Cailin or Hope," Jane interjected an answer to the unasked question.

"Separate," Maura answered. She walked further into the kitchen and realized Jane had almost everything ready for dinner. She had kept the vegetable cutting and salad part for Maura. Maura reached over and started to work on the vegetables absentmindedly.

Jane reached over and placed her hand over Maura's to stop her from cutting. "Tell me," she said.

"First it was Cailin," Maura started. She filled in Jane with the details of her visit with Cailin. "I mean, she seemed genuinely excited about having lunch in a couple of weeks. To be honest, so am I. Is that crazy?" she asked Jane.

"What?" Jane asked. "No Maura. It is not crazy that you are excited about the chance to actually get to know your sister. Of course it's not crazy."

Jane liked Cailin as much as Maura did. Once Cailin seemed to get past her initial rejection and, in Jane's opinion, overreaction to the news that Maura was Hope's daughter, she had been nice and respectful of Maura. Jane could tell Cailin was a good kid at heart and the last few interactions both Jane and Maura had with the girl had been positive. Jane was really hoping that if nothing else Maura would get to establish a relationship with her.

"Thank you," Maura said softly.

"That's not anything you need to thank me for Maura. Cailin seems sincere and I think she actually wants to try to get to know you. If that's what you want, that's what I want for you." They exchanged a smile. "So, what happened with Hope?"

Maura's whole demeanor change in an instant. And in an instant Jane knew it had been another disaster. And it immediately pissed her off. She had about had it with Dr. Hope Martin and she wasn't sure how much longer she was going to be able to sit on the sidelines keeping her opinions to herself. By the look on Maura's face, Jane knew it wouldn't be for much longer.

She walked over to Maura and again cursed the fact that one of her arms was strapped to her side. She knew Maura wanted to seek shelter in her arms and sadly she was still down to only one of them. But she did the best she could with the one she had. She pulled Maura into her and wrapped her up as best she could. She felt Maura cave into her. "Like I said this morning, this whole one arm thing just sucks," she whispered to ensure Maura understood what she had wanted to do in that moment.

"She was the reason I was delayed," Maura muttered.

"Then it really wasn't good was it? You didn't talk long," she noted.

"I ended up kicking her out of my office," Maura admitted.

A surge of pride swept through Jane. She hated that Marua seemed to let Hope run unchecked for most of their interactions. "That's new," she said carefully knowing she shouldn't openly gloat about Maura's actions. She gently kissed Maura's forehead. "What did she do?"

"What she always does," Maura sighed in frustration. "She put Cailin ahead of me."

Jane stroked her one free hand up and down Maura's back trying to console her. "Tell me," she asked.

"She doesn't want Cailin pulled into the middle of a scandal," Maura answered bitterly.

"Ouch," Jane said knowing full well how much that had to hurt Maura.

"She sat in my office Jane. Looked right at me and said that Cailin hadn't ever done anything to get pulled into the middle of this."

Jane tried to tighten her grip on Maura who was slightly trembling now. "Hey, I'm so sorry M. I know that had to hurt."

"I snapped," Maura admitted. "I told her off and kicked her out of my office."

"Oh sweetheart," Jane whispered gently. After a few moments she spoke again. "Is it wrong of me to be proud of you for speaking your mind?"

A small smile crossed Maura's lips. "No. Part of me was too honestly. But," she started and stopped.

"It just means things aren't getting any better with the two of you," Jane finished her sentence.

"They're not. And at this rate, we are never going to have any sort of relationship," Maura said quietly.

Jane kissed Maura's forehead again. "It's her loss Maura. I know that doesn't make any of this any easier. But, in the end, she's losing out on getting to know you. How wonderful you are. She's missing out on a lot."

Maura smiled and kissed Jane tenderly. "Thank you. But you're biased."

Jane kissed back but then added, "True. But I'm not the only person who sees who you really are. And everyone that does loves you. So I'm not wrong."

Maura didn't answer for a minute. Instead she found some shelter in Jane's embrace. "Come on," she finally said. "Let's eat."

R&I

Maura finished up the things Jane had left for her to do in order for them to have dinner. After she finished with the salad she went to grab potholders to remove the lasagna from the oven. She turned to find them on the kitchen island and noticed the BPD police file for the first time.

**_13-01876 Gina Franklin_**

She looked over at Jane. "What's this?" she asked.

Jane looked up to see what Maura was referring to and saw that it was the file. "I had visitors today, too."

"Separate to together?" It was Maura's turn to ask. She knew who Jane was referring to.

"Separate," Jane answered. "Frost 'accidentally' left that here this morning."

"I see," Maura replied. A part of her hesitated to ask questions but remembering their conversation that morning she decided it was time to forge ahead. "Have you looked at it?"

Jane sat down and tried to dish up food for them both but still couldn't really manage that without making a mess. Maura stepped in and finished all the while waiting for Jane's answer.

"No," she admitted.

Maura didn't react. "Did you guys talk about the case?"

"Frost told me they found the gun that killed her under the mattress in Lansing's bedroom. Cavanaugh is going to close the case," Jane answered without much emotion.

"Then why is the file here?" Maura asked.

"Frost thinks something is off," Jane replied.

"And Vince?" she asked.

Jane paused for a moment. "We had a different conversation. I'm not sure what he really thinks about this case."

"What did you and Vince talk about?" Maura asked. She was as worried about Vince as she was about Jane when it came to their mental health.

"He blames himself," she started. Maura nodded remembering her conversation with Vince at the hospital. "I did what I could to change his mind about that. I think I helped but this got to him. It's going to take a while for him to shake this one off."

"He just needs some time," Maura noted.

"And he asked me," Jane said and waited for Maura's reaction. She knew Maura would know what Vince asked without her needing to repeat it.

Maura looked at Jane. She shouldn't have been surprised that one of them finally asked if Jane was planning on coming back after her medical leave. They all knew this one seemed different. Jane's refusal to talk about work. The fact she didn't fight to get out of the hospital. Everyone was wondering if Jane was done. She knew one of the two was bound to work up the nerve to ask her sooner or later.

"What did you tell him?" she asked.

"The truth," Jane said. "I told him I really didn't know yet."

Maura was surprised that Jane was that candid with Vince. "Is it because of the boy?" Maura asked. She still didn't quite understand what was going through Jane's head when it came to the job. They had talked that morning but it had been about Angela not the job specifically.

Jane thought about that for a minute. She then shook her head. "No. I mean not exactly. No. I don't know," she rambled off.

Maura looked into Jane's eyes and saw doubt for maybe the first time ever. But she still didn't know what was the source of that doubt. "Jane," she said and reached over to take Jane's hand in hers. "You know that I love you and that I support what you do, right?"

Jane squeezed Maura's hand. "I know Maura. I love you too. But it's not that," she offered. "I promise once I figure out what it is I will tell you and we can talk about it."

Maura took Jane at her word. She trusted Jane would talk to her when she was ready and for now that was good enough for Maura.

R&I

_"And, Dr. Isles, it is your expert medical opinion that Patrick Doyle was responsible for this murder?" the AUSA asked Maura to confirm the testimony she had just given._

_"Yes. In my expert opinion, Patrick Doyle was responsible for this victim's death."_

_"Thank you Dr. Isles." The AUSA turned to the Judge. "No more questions for this witness at this time, Your Honor." He then strode confidently over to his table and took his seat. Maura's testimony had been compelling and his case was exactly where he wanted it to be in that moment._

_"Your witness," the Judge informed the defense team._

_The lead defense attorney, Jonathan Andrews, stood up with the intention of starting his cross examination. But as he tried to stand up he was stopped by Doyle who gave him a look. Andrews looked at his client and then to the Judge. "A moment, Your Honor?"_

_The Judge, seemingly annoyed with the delay, answered. "A very brief moment, Counselor."_

_Maura, as well as the entire courtroom, watched as Andrews and Doyle had what appeared to be a heated exchange. She was already nervous about the expected line of cross examination and the fact that Doyle kept looking over at her during this exchange with his lawyer had not done anything to calm her nerves. _

_The courtroom watched in fascination as Doyle and his lawyer continued to argue._

_"Mr. Andrews, perhaps you didn't fully understand me when I said a 'brief' moment," warned the Judge._

_Andrews, looking a little exasperated, stood up. "Sidebar Your Honor?"_

_The Judge was both curious and annoyed by the request. But he granted it. Suddenly Andrews and the AUSA were both huddling off to the side to speak with the Judge._

_Maura's anxiety continued to rise as she watched this exchange. After what felt like forever, the sidebar conference ended and the AUSA walked back towards his chair. He nodded at Maura trying to let her know that everything was going to be ok. Maura expected Andrews to start his cross examination but instead he went back to the table and sat down. She looked again at the AUSA in confusion but was pulled towards the Judge who was now speaking._

_"The cross examination for this witness will be handled by Patrick Doyle," he announced. The galley exploded with noises and reactions making the Judge have to pound his gavel and call the room to order. Finally, looking at the defendant, he indicated that it was alright for Doyle to approach the witness._

_Maura, in complete disbelief, again turned to the AUSA for help. But the man simply nodded at her again. Clearly, he felt that the government's case would be helped, and not hindered, by Doyle questioning Maura._

_Doyle stood up and approached Maura. "Dr. Isles," he started. "Please remind the Court of our relationship."_

_Maura didn't say anything. Couldn't say anything. _

_Doyle turned to the Judge. "Your Honor?" he requested._

_"Dr. Isles, answer the defendant's question," the Judge pushed._

_"Biologically, you are my father," Maura gave the answer._

_"And the circumstances in which you discovered your paternity?" he asked._

_"It was during the course of investigating the death of Colin Doyle," Maura answered._

_"And who was Colin Doyle to you?" he asked._

_"Biologically, he was my half-brother," she answered. She had no idea where he was trying to go with this line of questioning. Everyone in the courtroom knew their relationship by now._

_"And what did Colin do for a living?" he asked._

_"The assigned detectives found evidence that Colin was an identity thief," she answered. "And they recovered drawings as well. He was quite a talented artist."_

_"So your brother was a thief and your father is on trial for murder, amongst other things," he said._

_Maura didn't respond. She wasn't sure what his point was. Neither was the Judge._

_"Mr. Doyle, please ask questions of the witness if you intend to elicit answers," he admonished._

_"Doctor," Doyle continued, "what happened to Colin Doyle?" he asked._

_"He was murdered," Maura answered._

_"By whom?" Doyle asked._

_"That was never determined in a court of law," Maura answered._

_Doyle sighed and tried again. "Was there an investigation into the murder of Colin Doyle?"_

_"Yes."_

_"Did you participate in that investigation?"_

_"Yes."_

_"Please tell the Court what was determined by that investigation," he said knowing Maura would have to answer that one._

_"While the case was never brought to court, there was strong evidence to suggest that Colin Doyle was murdered by Tommy O'Rourke," Maura answered._

_"And why was that?" he asked._

_"I can't answer that," Maura replied back._

_"Your Honor," the AUSA interjected. "I'm trying to be patient here but Mr. Doyle needs to understand that he can not ask the witness to speculate about facts not in evidence."_

_"Mr. Doyle, you must conform your questions to facts pertaining to this case. If this is too challenging for you, there are four attorneys sitting at your table that are more than qualified to take over the questioning of this witness."_

_"Yes, Your Honor," responded Doyle. But then he continued. "Dr. Isles, have you ever been responsible for someone's death?"_

_She was shocked by the question. So was the AUSA. "Objection Your Honor," the AUSA started. "Irrelevant."_

_Andrews however stood up to counter. "Goes to credibility of the witness, Your Honor."_

_The Judge considered that for a minute. "Objection overruled. I'll allow the question."_

_"Doctor?" Doyle asked. "Have you ever been responsible for someone's death?"_

_Maura didn't answer. She just stared at Patrick who in turn stared right back. _

_The entire courtroom collectively held its breath waiting for Maura's answer. And they waited. And waited._

_"Dr. Isles," the Judge admonished. "Please answer the question."_

_"No," she heard herself finally answer. But as soon as she said it her vision started getting blurry and she was having trouble breathing. The room started to quickly spin and tilt._

_"Dr Isles?" the Judge asked with some concern. "Are you alright?"_

_"I…." Maura started but she sentence was never finished. Everything for Maura faded to black._

Maura's eyes shot open and she tried to take in her surroundings. She had just been on the witness stand. But she wasn't in a courtroom any longer. As her mind tried to process what was happening she suddenly felt something move beside her.

Jane.

She was home. It was just another dream.

She looked over at Jane and was glad she was still asleep. She didn't want her nightmares to wake up Jane. Earlier that night they had a discussion about Jane's pain meds. Jane had wanted to try to get through the night without one at all but Maura was not in favor of that idea. She was afraid that Jane would experience discomfort during the night and be unable to sleep. They ended up compromising when Jane suggested cutting the pill in half. Maura reluctantly agreed but not until Jane promised that if she woke up at all during the night in pain she would take the other half of the pill without an argument.

As Maura studied Jane, it was clear that half a pill seemed to still keep her asleep. Maura rolled onto her back and stared up at the ceiling. The nightmares were getting more and more involved and Maura understood it was her subconscious mind trying to handle the anxiety she was still feeling. Opening statements for Doyle's trial were set to start in two days. Maura was scheduled to testify in four days.

Four days. Only four more days before the world would know.

She looked over at the time. 2:27 am. It was too early even for her to get up and out of bed. Instead, she slid over and carefully curled herself into Jane's side seeking any level of comfort she could from the woman. She rested her head on Jane's chest and listened to the strong, rhythmic pattern of Jane's heartbeat. This simple, beautiful sound seemed to settle her. Somewhere lost in what she considered one of her favorite sounds, Maura settled back down into a dreamless sleep.

R&I

_Jane walked slowly down the alley. It was a deliberate walk. One she had perfected over the years. A pace just right to get a sense of walking down the alley but also still be able to let her senses take in everything. Sounds. Smells. Sights. Everything._

_She had learned years ago to open herself up to each crime scene. A clue, THE clue, could be found anywhere at anytime. Some detectives didn't think outside the narrow perimeter of the immediate vicinity of a body. But those were the detectives that rarely closed a case. Jane was better than that. Jane allowed herself to be open to anything._

_"They did it," came the small voice next to her._

_She turned her head and looked down at Eric. "Are you sure?" she asked. She hadn't seen anything so far to suggest a different theory._

_Eric nodded. "It was them. They hurt her."_

_Jane looked around her. "I can't find them," she offered up._

_This time Eric turned his head up to look at Jane. "You haven't been looking," he accused._

_"I got hurt," she pleaded to him to understand._

_"You promised," he reminded._

_"I did, didn't I?" she answered back._

_He took her hand into his and pulled Jane down so they could be eye to eye. "I promise I will catch everyone that did this." The words came out of his mouth but the voice was her own._

It was Jane's turn to be forced awake by a dream. She was careful not to roll over on her side when she tried to see the time. 6:37 am. As she continued to wake up she heard the sounds of the shower running. She let her head fall back onto her pillow and thought about the dream. It had been the first dream about the shooting she had. The question now was what was she going to do about it?


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

Jane took the half chewed toy and chucked it across the yard watching Jo happily chase after it. She was suddenly amazed at how such little things seemed to keep Jo happy. Just someone throwing a toy she could chase down and bring back only to do it again. That's all she seemed to need to be happy. Jane was marginally jealous.

She heard the now all too familiar sound of Bass finally joining in the festivities. He had taken his sweet time coming out to join them on the deck that morning. Jane thought for a while he was going to skip that mornings play session.

"I'd throw something for you to go after too if I thought you'd at all enjoy it," she said to him as he finally made his way to her side. She pushed over a bowl that contained a few strawberries and as a special treat some mustard greens. "I'm sorry you are stuck up here on the deck. Maybe in a week or two I'll be able to help you down the steps and you can play in the yard. I know you like to dig and I won't even tell Mom about it."

Jane watched to see if Bass gave any sort of reaction. Sometimes she could swear he nodded his head at some of her questions or comments. But she couldn't really tell anything. Jo had brought her toy back for Jane to throw again and Jane complied.

Jane sat and watched Jo bounce around the yard with the toy. Her mind drifted back to the dream that woke her up that morning. Again, she turned to Bass. "What do you think big guy? Could you get used to me just being home all day long?" Again, no answer but it least it wasn't a no.

Jane really was conflicted. Waking up in the hospital and seeing Maura and the Mothers all sleeping in her room, knowing what she continually put all of them through with each injury and the awful realization that her mother witnessed first hand the shooting put Jane at a crossroad. It wasn't the first time she had found herself there. But it was the first time she didn't know what she really wanted to do next. She had never been this uncertain about anything in her life.

The dangers of the job had always loomed. She had accepted them a long time ago and she knew that others in her life had come to accept them as well. They may not like them but they did accept them. She did everything she could each day to make sure she didn't take unnecessary risks and that had always been enough for the people who loved her. Maura, her mother, her brothers, even Constance were all supportive of Jane's career even with the added worry it brought them.

Thinking about that Jane couldn't help but remember a conversation she had with Constance after she and Maura had announced that they were dating. Constance had flown into Boston to see Maura and requested a dinner with Jane to talk. Just Jane. Jane had no idea what to expect but agreed and it had made a world of difference in their relationship.

_Once the waiter had taken their orders, Constance got straight to the point. "Are you in love with my daughter?" she asked._

_Jane probably should have been prepared for the Isles' bluntness given all the years she had known Maura but the question still caught her off guard. "I love Maura very much," she said with conviction._

_"I don't doubt that," Constance replied. "It's quite obvious that the two of you love each other. That's not what I'm asking you. What I asked was whether or not you are in love with Maura. There is a difference."_

_Jane cleared her throat, understanding. "Yes. I am in love with your daughter. To be frank with you, I have been for quite some time. I just," she paused not sure if she should finish her answer._

_"Just what?" Constance asked._

_"I just never thought I was good enough to have Maura in that way. I always knew I overachieved with just having her in my life as my best friend. More just didn't seem possible." It was a brutally honest answer from Jane. She always felt Maura could do better than her but the woman seemed to love her anyway._

_Constance was surprised at Jane's candor. But she was even more surprised at Jane's misguided beliefs. "Seriously Jane," Constance said. "I never took you for being stupid." A flash of anger crossed Jane's face but it left as quickly as it came. Constance continued speaking before Jane could reply. "Why would you ever devalue what you've brought into Maura's life?"_

_"I…." but again Jane paused._

_"You saw who she really is. I think from the moment you met if I'm to believe Maura's side of the story. You saw her Jane. No one else in her life as ever done that. Including her father and I. But you did. And you brought that out of her for everyone else to see. Because of that, there are people in her life who love, care and support her where there had been no one before. You have to realize what you've done for her," Constance said staring intently at Jane._

_It was Jane's turn to be surprised by Constance's candor. "As far as I was ever concerned, she was easy to see."_

_"She wasn't Jane. Not until you," Constance answered._

_"She's an incredible woman," Jane state unequivocally._

_"And from everything I have been able to ascertain so are you," Constance added without hesitation._

_"I can't speak to that," Jane offered up in modesty. Wanting to shift the subject to something else, anything else, Jane threw out a blunt question to Constance. "So, are you ok with the idea of Maura and I being together?"_

_For the first time since they had started their conversation, Constance dropped her eyes from Jane. That immediately made Jane nervous. She didn't want to come between Maura and her mother and if Constance didn't approve she felt that was exactly what would end up happening._

_Constance noticed the shift in Jane's demeanor and realized why. "Jane, hear me out," she started carefully._

_"Alright," Jane said hesitantly._

_"I have absolutely no issues with Maura having a relationship with a woman. She's an adult and has the right to choose whatever feels right or natural for her without worry about what others think. So do you I might add. And it's not that I 'disapprove' of the two of you together. She loves you. And is very much in love with you. I realize you feel the same. On one hand that is all I have ever wanted for her. Someone who loves her unconditionally who she loves in return."_

_"And on the other hand?" Jane couldn't help ask now not sure what Constance's objection could be._

_"On the other hand, you have a dangerous job, a history of terrible injuries and I must admit that I worry that you will do the one thing I would never be able to forgive you for," Constance fired back._

_"Which is?" Jane wanted to know._

_"Leave her all alone," came Constance's blunt answer._

_"I love her," Jane responded immediately. "I would never leave her…." and then she paused and it hit her. She quickly caught on to what Constance was saying. "You don't mean leave leave. You mean die," Jane said softly._

_Constance nodded her head. "You've already had a few close calls Jane. I may not have been the best mother for her in her life but as a mother I'm worried that your luck will run out one day and you would leave her all alone. I'm not sure she would survive that and I would blame you for it even though I know that's not fair."_

_Jane took a minute to respond. "Constance, you have every right to feel the way that you do. Simply because you are right. I have a dangerous job. And yes, one day, my luck might run out. I can't deny that. Nor could I ever promise that it won't happen. But," she said pausing to gauge Constance reaction. "Maura can't promise me that she won't get sick. Or get into an accident. Or be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Nor could you promise that to her either. There are no guarantees in this life. None. And while I will never deny that the odds of something happening to me are greater because of what I chose to do, I refuse to let fear dictate my choices._

_"If I let fear start playing a part of my decision making, I may have a longer lifespan but it would not be the life I would want and that would be unacceptable to me. I wouldn't have the things in my life I have now. The things I hold closest to my heart. The things that define who I am. Your daughter is one of those things. The biggest thing. If I let fear win out, I'd never know your daughter's love and, well, I just won't stand for that. All I can tell you is this. I love her. I will do everything I can to come home to her each and every day. I want to spend the rest of my life with her and while I hope that means many years regardless of the duration she will be cherished, loved and protected until my last breath."_

_Constance didn't stop the smile that spread across her face. Looking at Jane she could think of only one response. "Then I will pray you have a long life. For both your sakes."_

Jane looked out across the yard at a still jovial Jo who seemed content chasing after a butterfly that had floated into the backyard. She then turned her gaze to Bass who was still keeping her company up on the deck. She took in a deep breath and stood up. The memory seemed to be exactly what she needed in that moment. Leaving the kids still outside, Jane walked into the house and went straight for the file.

_**13-01876 Gina Franklin**_

R&I

Jane spent an hour reviewing the case file Frost had left her. The file contained everything Frost and Korsak had managed to gather on Gina Franklin's crime scene. There was a copy of the autopsy, the ballistics report from the bullet retrieved, all the crime scene photos, all of the analysis of the forensic evidence and all the initial queries into her background. There was a copy of her guardianship orders for Eric. Several social worker site reports from the first year Gina had been made Eric's guardian.

The file also contained preliminary information on Kevin Lansing. Copies of his autopsy results and ballistics from his bullet retrieved. A copy of all the statements about what happened in the lobby. There was a copy of the ballistics from the gun recovered from his apartment that tied him to Gina's murder. All the initial queries into his background, financials and work history. Frost added a social media review as well.

While the file had basically everything, it told Jane absolutely nothing. Or at least nothing she didn't already know. And it explained absolutely nothing. There was no motive for why, if Kevin Lansing was the murderer, he killed Gina. Nothing on what he stood to gain. There was no indication of any issues within Kevin and Gina's relationship. There was no inkling as to motive.

Outside of the recovery of the murder weapon from under his mattress, there was nothing to suggest Kevin Lansing was capable of cold blooded murder. He had no priors of any kind. He was gainfully employed and generally well liked. He didn't seem to have any history of anger management issues, alcoholism, drug issues, gambling problems. In fact, there was nothing, outside of the gun, that suggested Kevin Lansing was anything other than an upstanding Boston citizen.

Jane understood why Frost had an issue with closing out the file. The gun was the only connection they could find between Lansing and Franklin's death and as Jane reviewed the information the guys had uncovered she, too, agreed that it felt wrong. Too easy. Too convenient. Something was wrong.

And as she poured through the file looking at all the photos and reports she realized there was something missing. There was nothing in any of the reports that even hinted at anyone that could be labeled 'they'. Lansing had used that term. So had Eric. And both had used it in such a manner that suggested outside players that could have had an impact on Gina Franklin's life. Hurt her if Eric was to be believed.

But there was nothing. Or at least nothing Jane could immediately put her finger on. Jane had spread out all of the information from the file on the floor in the family room. She sat back and tried to take everything that was in front of her in. As she ran her eyes over all of the materials she had to admit the list of what she didn't know was definitely longer than the list of what she did know.

Looking at the time she knew she needed to start getting dinner ready. She pieced the file back together and once assembled she let the cover close. Mentally, she went over the list of things she didn't know. It was a manageable list and one she knew where she needed to go if she wanted to start to get some answers. As she headed for the kitchen to see about dinner the biggest question she had was whether she was going to try to find those answers.

R&I

Maura was greeted first by Bass as she arrived home that evening. While she was sure it was more luck than by design, she couldn't help the smile that came across her face when she opened the door and Bass was standing right in front of her. She bent down and greeted the tortoise and rubbed his shell for a few moments. As she was doing that she heard Jo's scampering paws coming closer and closer.

As soon as she looked up Jo was practically in her face. She smiled again and gave a generous greeting to the overly excited dog. She knew it was somewhat unconventional but as far as she was concerned there was nothing better than getting to say hello to her tortoise and her dog.

"Maura?" Jane called out from the kitchen.

On second thought, Maura found that she could think of one thing that was just a tad bit better than being greeted by her kids. She stood up to go say hello to that one thing. She made her way into the kitchen and carefully hugged herself into Jane's good side.

"Hi," she said after a moment of peaceful silence snuggled into Jane.

"Hi," Jane answered back as she gently kissed Maura's forehead.

When Maura stepped back from her Jane was able to turn and get a better look at Maura. She didn't like what she saw. Maura still had signs of darkened circles under her eyes and she looked both tired and worried. Jane pulled her back into her and held her for a few moments.

"What's wrong?" she asked with concern.

"Let me change and we can talk when I come back downstairs," Maura answered.

Jane nodded. It was pretty routine for Maura to change into 'comfy clothes' once she got home from work. For the first few months after they moved in together she had resisted acquiring Jane's habit of changing into just a t-shirt and sweats but finally gave in and had to now admit she was much more comfortable at night than when she would just wait and change into pajamas before bed.

"You have some time. Dinner won't be ready for about 15 more minutes," Jane said and gave Maura a chaste kiss before Maura headed up the stairs. Jane was sure Maura would talk with her when she came down.

And she did.

"So talk to me," Jane said as she was finishing setting the table after Maura re-entered the kitchen.

Maura let her mind drift to the nightmare she had that morning and after a few seconds she looked at Jane. "I think I need to talk to my mother before the trial starts," she said.

Jane had been advocating this for several months. This was the first time Maura had ever been receptive to the idea let alone bringing up first. "What made you change your mind?" she asked quietly. When Maura didn't answer right away Jane took a guess. "Another nightmare?"

Maura looked at Jane and wondered how she always managed to do that. She nodded quietly. "It's all going to come out Jane. As much as I keep just wishing it wouldn't. It will. It's not fair to them not to hear it from me first." There wasn't going to be anyway Maura's parents weren't going to follow the RICO trial.

Jane had tried to tell Maura that months ago. She had offered to be with Maura when she talked with her parents. At one point, she had even offered to explain everything to her parents herself so Maura wouldn't have to. So Jane was in complete agreement with Maura's assessment.

"Tell me about the dream," she encouraged Maura. Jane had always found that Maura did better after talking about her nightmares. Jane was the opposite always finding it better not to get into the details of hers.

Maura sighed and walked Jane through what that morning's nightmare had been about. Patrick taking over as the questioning attorney. The line fo questioning he tried. The final question he asked. She told Jane everything.

Jane's heart broke for Maura. She was so nervous about her upcoming testimony that her mind was being brutally cruel to her. "Oh Maura," Jane said pulling Maura into the not quite good enough side hug once again. "I'm so sorry."

Maura put her arms around Jane's waist and found shelter in the hug. Half hug or not this was where she really wanted to be. "It's not your fault," she told Jane.

"And, like I've tried to tell you forever, it's not your fault either," Jane replied sternly. Looking at Maura she continued. "Maura, honey, you were not responsible for Tommy O'Rourke. Doyle killed him. Doyle. Not you."

Maura went to say something but Jane cut her off.

"No, don't tell me that Doyle did it for you. Or because of you. You need to hear me when I say this. Doyle killed O'Rourke because he is a killer. That's who he is Maura. Did you benefit from O'Rourke's death? Probably. But we may never know that for sure. We sealed that photo of you we pulled off O'Rourke. No one knows about that outside of Barry, Vince and Sean. As far as we know, the other families walked away believing Doyle killed O'Rourke for the reason closest to the truth. O'Rourke killed Colin. Doyle's own son.

"O'Rourke's death was a revenge killing Maura. It wasn't some altruistic gesture by Doyle for your sake. It served his own agenda and his own criminal enterprise. You had nothing to do with O'Rourke's death. We didn't tell Doyle anything. We didn't give him any information. He found out on his own what our investigation was showing and he did what he has done his entire life. He struck out and used that ice pick to do so."

Jane and Maura had discussed this concern several times. Jane managed to reach Maura's more logical side more often than not but at times Maura's emotional side seemed to get in the way. Jane hoped tonight wasn't one of those nights.

"Thank you," came from Maura finally after a few minutes of silence. Jane always had a way to getting Maura to see the O'Rourke situation differently from where her guilt ridden mind would take her.

"I'll tell you each and every day the same thing if it will help you," Jane offered. She hated seeing what all this gulit and self doubt was doing to the woman she loved. "We will get through all of this together."

"You may need to remind me of that over the next few days," Maura admitted.

"Daily, hourly, minutely, secondly. Whenever you need to hear it, M. I'm here. I'll be here through the entire trial. None of what is occurring in those nightmares of yours is what's going to happen," Jane said as reassuringly as she could.

"And my parents?" Maura asked.

"I think they need to hear it all from you. Not from the nightly news. And I will still tell them if that would be easier for you," she offered again.

"No," Maura acknowledged. "It needs to come from me."

"I will go with you when you tell them," Jane replied trying to support Maura in any way she could.

Maura nodded and let things settle in her mind. She really did need to speak with her parents. She would figure out the details later. She turned to Jane and smiled, "Alright, enough of this for now. Let's eat."

R&I

They were just finishing dinner when Jane broached the subject of the case file with Maura. Maura had started to do the cleanup while Jane took Jo for her nightly walk. Once Jane returned, she grabbed the file and headed into the kitchen to speak with Maura. Entering the kitchen Jane sat down at the island and placed the file down in front of her waiting to get Maura's attention.

"I take it you looked at it," Maura said not turning around.

Jane slightly shook her head and wondered how exactly Maura did that. "This afternoon," Jane admitted.

"And?" she asked still finishing the last few cleanup tasks.

"And I agree with Frost. Something just doesn't seem right here," she answered. She almost told Maura her gut was screaming that something was off but she knew Maura always got annoyed with her when she tried to claim her instincts were tied to any of her body parts.

"So," Maura said finally turning around to give Jane her undivided attention, "what do you want to do about that?"

"I'm not sure," Jane admitted.

"Do you have a theory?" Maura asked out of curiosity.

"No," Jane said. "There's not enough here for the development of a theory. By the time I got done going over this file I had more questions than answers."

"You could," Maura suggested, "let Barry and Vince know what your questions are. Let them run down the answers."

"I could," Jane agreed.

"But," Maura pushed.

"Cavanaugh is going to close this case. Once that happens they won't be able to follow-up on any questions without getting into trouble or doing it on their free time." Jane did not want either of her partners getting into trouble and both Jane and Maura understood that with the nature of life as a homicide detective, neither man had much 'free time' to be spending chasing after a theory.

"Jane," Maura said looking at Jane, "you are on a medical leave. You're not supposed to be doing anything police related unless it is your rehab. You could get in more trouble than either Barry or Vince."

Jane wasn't even surprised that Maura seemed to know what Jane was considering. The woman knew her better than she knew herself sometimes. "That's also true," Jane admitted. And it was. If she got caught working while on a leave she would be in serious trouble.

"What do you want to do?" Maura asked.

Jane was quiet for a minute. Her mind flashed again onto the dream she had that morning and again she heard her voice coming out of Eric Franklin's mouth. "I promised him," Jane said softly.

Maura nodded sympathetically. She understood the value Jane placed on her promises. "What is it that you want to do Jane?" she asked a second time. "Tell me."

"I want to try to get some answers," Jane admitted.

Maura was quiet for a moment. Then, she reached over placed her hand over Jane's. "Promise me two things," she said.

"Ok?" Jane asked.

Maura only wanted two things from Jane. "Don't get caught and if there is any sign of danger you will call in Barry and Vince."

"That's it?" Jane asked.

"That's it," Maura answered. And for the moment, it really was.

Jane stood up and walked over to Maura. She leaned in and whispered into Maura's ear, "I promise." After that, she sealed her promise with a kiss. It started out tender. Gentle. But it quickly turned heated and full of want for them both.

Jane was the first to pull away but it wasn't to stop. "Bedroom," she again whispered into Maura's ear.

Both the request and Jane's breath on her neck made Maura shiver. Somewhere within herself Maura knew she probably shouldn't given Jane's injury. But that somewhere didn't seem strong enough to stop her from taking Jane's hand and heading towards the bedroom.

Once in the bedroom, Jane stepped into Maura and gently pressed her lips against the ME's. There was no other feeling on Earth that screamed 'home' to Jane than when her lips came into contact with Maura's. She felt it the very first time they kissed and she continued to feel it each and every time after that magical first moment.

The kiss grew in intensity as both tongues did battle for control. The need between the two was palpable and Jane pushed to keep the kiss going until she felt the burning in her chest from the need for oxygen. She leaned her forehead against Maura's trying to catch her breath.

"I love you," she said looking into the most gorgeous hazel eyes she would ever know.

Maura, as breathless as Jane, gently nodded. "I love you too."

Jane caught enough breath to go in for another kiss. This one driven by want as much as it was by need. She started to maneuver Maura towards the bed quickly discovering Maura wasn't putting up a fight. They stopped only when the back of Maura's legs ran into their bed. Normally Jane would have just continued until they were both laying in bed but with her shoulder she seemed to understand that the logistics of what she wanted needed to be thought about.

Maura sensed what Jane was thinking about. Breaking the kiss she spoke. "Jane maybe we shouldn't." The doctor in her finally came out.

"Oh, yes we should," Jane shot back capturing Maura's lips again.

After another searing kiss Maura tried again to put on the brakes. "Jane," she said, "your shoulder. We shouldn't."

Jane again rested her forehead against Maura's for a moment. "I want you," she said in a desirous tone that weakened both Maura's resolve and her knees.

"But," Maura feebly tried.

"But nothing," Jane said and this time she gently pushed Maura down onto the bed. "You're a doctor and a certified genius Maura. Don't tell me between the two of us we can't figure out a way to make this happen." She teased just the way she knew would hook Maura.

"I can think of a few things that should work," Maura admitted with a sly grin.

Jane reached down and grabbed the front of Maura's t-shirt bunching up as much as she could in her hand before effectively pulling it up and over Maura's head. It was actually quite a smooth move.

"Nice," Maura said in appreciation. Any further thoughts of trying to stop what was about to happen left Maura's mind.

Jane smiled and moved to straddle herself over Maura's hips. "You ain't seen nothing yet," she whispered. "Let me show you what I can do with one good arm and pure determination. I want you," she breathed. "I need you."

As Jane hovered over Maura they both knew in that moment that between the two of them they would absolutely figure out a way to be together that night.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

Jane ran down the mental list of what questions she had once more before getting out of her car and walking towards the door. It felt a little wrong doing what she was about to do but it felt worse to not try to fulfill her promise to Eric. She told herself it was just a few questions. She wasn't 'really' working. After all, she even left her gun at home. Nevermind that she wore her badge. She was just checking into something.

She reached the door and knocked. Within a few moments the door opened and an older man greeted her. "Detective Rizzoli?" he man asked.

Jane nodded and showed the man her credentials. "Mr. Colten?" she wanted to confirm. When he nodded she continued. "Thank you for seeing me," she offered up.

"I told the other detectives if there was any more I could do not to hesitate. Gina was just a nice young woman," he offered. "And I can't even…" his voice trailed off and Jane understood he was referring to Eric and she didn't make him finish that thought. "Come in," he said and retreated into his office.

"Thank you," again repeated and followed the man.

"Now, what more can I do for you?" the man asked.

"I'm not sure if there's anything specific," Jane admitted. "I know you were her landlord so there might not be much more information you can tell us. But I just had some follow-up questions that maybe you could help with."

"I'll do my best Detective," he answered.

"How long had Gina and Eric lived here?" she asked.

"Eric has lived," and he paused, "lived here longer than Gina. His parents moved here about four years ago when it was just them and Eric. Gina was away at school. But, after they lost their folks, I transferred the lease into Gina's name and she moved in." He looked at Jane and added one comment, "She told me she didn't want to uproot Eric after everything that happened. He liked it here and she wanted to try to keep some things normal for him."

Jane nodded. "Did you ever have any issues with either of them?"

"Never," he answered. "They were ideal tenants. I never had to chase after them about rent. I mean she's technically paid up through the end of next month. There were never any noise compliments. Gina never let Eric leave his stuff out in the yard or in the hallway."

"You said she's paid ahead on rent?" Jane asked curious.

"Yes," he answered. "Since she took over the lease she pays six months rent at a time."

"That's fairly unusual," Jane noted.

"I asked her about it once," he said. "I mean I didn't want her to be worried about money especially since she could have just paid monthly. But she told me that she had a trust that allowed her to take care of living expenses so it worked out better for her to handle rent like she was."

That made some sense. Jane made a mental note to really review Gina's financials. She assumed the trust came from her parent's estate. "Had you ever met Kevin Lansing before?" she asked. She had no idea how much involvement in the tenant's lives the man had.

"Once," he said. "We do a complex cookout at the beginning and end of each summer. Most of the residents participate and it turns into kind of a block party. Gina introduced me to Kevin at the last cookout."

"Your thoughts?" Jane asked.

"He seemed like a nice enough guy. He mixed well with the tenants. And Eric seemed to like him. They spent some time playing frisbee which I had thought was decent of him."

"Did you ever see or overhear anything that would lead you to believe there was any issues between Gina and Kevin?" Jane asked.

The landlord shook his head. "No. I never heard or saw a single fight. And no one has said they did either," he added. "What happened to both Franklins was the talk of the complex and not one of the tenants offered up any suspicious behavior."

Jane was sure that was about all she would get from the landlord. "Thank you for your time Mr. Colten," she said standing up.

"I can't say that I was of any help," he admitted.

"Let I said, this is just follow-up," she advised.

"Before you go," he said looking at Jane, "will there be any further need to hold the apartment?"

"Hold the apartment?" Jane asked.

"As a crime scene," he said. "I haven't touched their place since all of this happened. I wasn't sure if those police scientist people still needed access. Like I said, technically the place is paid for through the end of next month but at some point I am going to have to contact someone about getting their things. I just wasn't sure if I should do that yet."

"There's no hold on the apartment by the police," Jane started. "But, could I trouble you to let me into their place to look around? I missed the first walk through," she added giving an indication to her injured arm.

"That would be no trouble at all," he said as he made his way to get the key for the apartment.

Jane waited. Maybe going through the place would help. Maybe she would see or find something the guys had missed the first time through.

R&I

Maura approached her mother's penthouse door but hesitated before knocking. She had avoided this conversation with her mother for several years but given that she was set to take the stand in just three days, she just couldn't avoid it any longer. Taking a deep breath she rang the bell.

Once Maura and Constance had started having a much better relationship, Constance had purchased a penthouse in a Boston high raise. Since her stays in Boston were now more frequent and for a longer duration she had wanted a place for her and her husband. Not that he ever joined her. Constance had arranged a long stay in the Boston area. It had been her plan to be in town for the duration of the RICO trial. There wasn't much she could do for Maura but she wanted to be there to support her.

Answering her door, Constance was surprised to see Maura. They had not planned for any outings that day and Maura should have been at work. "Maura?" she greeted not hiding her surprise.

"I'm sorry to come unannounced," Maura said. "Am I interrupting anything?"

"Not at all dear," Constance answered back and stepped aside so her daughter could enter. "Is everything ok? Jane?" she asked in a sudden panic.

"Jane is fine," Maura replied. "Her shoulder is healing."

"Alright," she answered back. "That answers half my question. Why don't you tell me what's wrong with you then."

Maura sighed and made her way into the living room and sat down waiting for her mother to join her. "I need to talk to you about something," she started.

Constance settled in next to her daughter and really took her in. She was immediately struck by the pained look on Maura's face. She had no idea what it was that Maura needed to talk about but whatever it was Maura didn't want to be saying it.

"Darling, you can talk to me about anything," she tried to reassure her.

"I need to explain a few things to you before you have to hear about it in the news," Maura said.

"Doyle?" Constance asked already knowing the answer was yes.

Maura nodded. "Please understand that some of this I didn't ever want you to know about. But since I can't seem to avoid that witness stand I don't want that to be the first time you hear what I'm going to have to testify to."

"Whatever it is," Constance said and she reached over taking Maura's hand, "don't you forget that you are my daughter and I love you. Your father loves you too."

Maura merely nodded. "The AUSA doesn't really need my testimony on the forensics of the RICO case. He has an expert witness he uses in federal cases he plans to use to walk the jury through that evidence. What he needs me for is personal."

"What is it that you know?" she asked now suddenly concerned for her daughter's safety.

Maura dropped her eyes before beginning her answer. "For starters, he kidnapped me once," she admitted quietly.

"WHAT!?" Constance couldn't help the force and tone behind the exclamation. It got Maura's head to snap up in reaction. "Kidnapped? When? Why didn't you tell me? Are you ok? Did he hurt you?"

"Mother," Maura said loudly to stop the onslaught of rapid fire questions. "I'm was fine. He didn't hurt me. Scared me but didn't hurt me. It happened four years ago right when I discovered he was my biological father. He had his men take me from the morgue so he could talk to me. And I didn't tell you because nothing more happened and I didn't want to worry you or father."

Constance tried to steady her breathing. "Young lady, I am your mother. You can't withhold things like a kidnapping from me. Even if you weren't hurt." She suddenly realized she was starting to lecture Maura and that was most likely the last thing Maura needed. She stopped and squeezed her hand. "I'm sorry. But it's a mother's right to freak out a little bit. And, I know I don't have a good track record of being there you when you need me but don't hold things back from me if your only reason is to save me worry. It should be my job to worry about you."

"I wouldn't hold things back from you now. We are in a different place than we were four years ago," Maura replied. "But I am sorry I never said anything."

"So what happened?" Constance asked.

"Basically what I told you. We were investigating the death of his son Colin and Patrick had two of his men take me from the morgue. In the end, he only wanted to talk and he released me. He only held me for just over an hour but the AUSA wants it as a separate charge. The first kidnapping alone is good for 5-7 years."

"Wait," she said shocked, "the first kidnapping?"

"Technically he's done it twice. Although they are going to label the second time unlawful restraint and not kidnapping. And the sentence for the unlawful restraint jumps to 12 years to life because that time he held me and Jane's brother Tommy at gunpoint and forced me to treat the wounds he got during the commission of another crime."

"Oh my God, Maura," Constance just didn't know what else to say. "What did Jane say about all of this?"

"Jane was wonderful. Both times," Maura answered. She couldn't help but think of Jane's reaction when she had called her after Doyle released her that first time.

_Whatever you want I can get it._

Never in her life had she ever, ever felt more loved than in that one single moment.

"How did she….what did she…" Constance tried to put together an entire sentence. Knowing how fiercely protective Jane was of Maura she had to ask. "How is that man still walking this Earth?"

"Jane's not a killer Mother," Maura answered. "She would never hurt anyone unless she had no choice. Even when she shot him in that warehouse, she wasn't trying to kill him. She was just trying to protect the rest of us. She's never wanted Patrick dead. Just in jail where he belongs."

"So, a kidnapping and an unlawful restraint," Constance tried to recap. Looking at Maura she didn't get the sense that she had heard the worst of it yet. "Why am I now worried about what you still have to tell me. If this is what you used to ease me into this, what in Heavens is there that you still don't seem to want me to know?"

Maura couldn't sit anymore. She stood up and started pacing. A mannerism she had picked up from Jane over the years.

Constance, watching her daughter nervously pace, tried to calm her down. "Maura, please just tell me."

"I'm a key witness in one of the pending murder charges," Maura started.

"You mean you analyzed the evidence?" Constance asked.

"No Mother, I'm offering testimony as witness, not as an expert, on one of the murder charges."

"Oh my," she exclaimed, "did he….did you...did you see him kill someone?" she asked.

"I didn't witness it, no. But I can testify that he told me what he was going to do. And why," Maura said and started pacing again.

"Alright," Constance uttered, "although I'm not sure why a man like Patrick Doyle would have ever tell you why he was going to do something like murder…."

Maura sighed again and the rate of her pacing increased. "Mother, I'm the reason why," she said quickly. It almost came out jumbled.

"Excuse me?" Constance asked.

Maura turned to her mother and finally made eye contact again. "I'm the reason why Patrick killed a man. It was all because of me." And with that, Maura started to cry.

Constance, not understanding what Maura meant by what she just said but not really caring in that moment, took her daughter into her arms and held her trying to comfort her as the tears fell.

R&I

Jane had spent a good twenty minutes looking around Gina and Eric's apartment. Her first impressions were that it was neat but cozy with a lived in feel. It was easy to picture a 13 year old feeling like the place was a home. Jane had walked through Eric's room but nothing stood out. She found all the signs of teenage life. An unmade bed. Some laundry just thrown on the floor. Video games and a gaming system. But there was nothing to indicate that Eric was anything other than a happy kid who seemed to have adjusted well to being raised by his sister.

Gina's room didn't yield much more to Jane either. The bed was made. No clothes thrown haphazardly about. A nice wardrobe but nothing too extravagant. Frost had already taken her laptop and her iPad. Jane was aware of that. There were college textbooks sitting on her desk. She had left college early to raise Eric but appeared to be working online to finish her degree.

There weren't too many photos on display. Just three in fact. One of her parents. One of just her and Eric. And one of her with Kevin. All three framed and placed on her dresser. Jane found no letters in any boxes or drawers. There just wasn't much.

She walked into the living room and looked around. Again, there wasn't much to look at. A few photos in frames on end tables and shelves. Decent sized TV and movie collection. The place felt like a home. They didn't have the top of the line in everything but what they had was nice.

A little disappointed that the apartment didn't seem to hold a clue to the mystery of 'they' or something overlooked Jane was about to leave when she caught two breaks almost at the exact same moment.

First, she had turned to look into the kitchen and for the first time noticed something familiar on the refrigerator. Not familiar in the sense that she knew what it was but familiar in the sense that she knew she had seen it before. As she was staring at it, Mr. Colten reappeared carrying a handful of items.

"Detective," he announced. "I'm glad you are still here. I wasn't sure what I should do with any of the mail that has come for Gina since….well since it all happened."

Jane looked down at what was in his hand and noticed it was a pile of envelopes. "May I?" she asked.

Colten nodded and handed her the stack. Jane quickly sorted through the items. They were mostly junk mail and bills. But two envelopes got her attention. The first was from a Boston based law firm Cushing & Dolan. The second envelope was from something called the Phoenix Foundation.

Jane turned her head back to what she was looking at on Gina and Eric's refrigerator. There was a magnet decal of a bird, possibly a phoenix, on the upper right hand corner of the freezer door. Looking down at the letter from the Phoenix Foundation the graphic was the same. And Jane had seen this same graphic one other place as well.

She looked at Mr. Colten, "You can just leave any more mail items for Gina in the apartment," she said. She would be keeping to letters from the Phoenix Foundation as well as the law firm. "Whoever is handling her's and Eric's estate will handle the personal items and mail. Do you happen to know who that is?" she asked.

"No, I'm sorry. I don't have any idea," he answered wishing there was more he could do.

"That's alright," Jane said. "We can find that out. Thanks again," she had as she showed herself out.

It wasn't much but given where else she had seen that phoenix decal maybe that would hold some sort of key. And in her years of police work, Jane also knew any correspondence from a lawyer or law office usually resulted in some good information.

R&I

"Maura, darling, what has gotten you this upset?" Constance asked. Maura had cried for a good five minutes before finally trying to get herself in control.

She straightened up and knew she needed to finish telling her mother everything. "Patrick killed a man named Tommy O'Rourke," she started. "O'Rourke was the head of a competing Irish mob family."

"Alright," Constance said following along. "But what could that have to do with you?"

"Tommy O'Rourke killed Colin Doyle," Maura answered. She waited for a minute to see if it would dawn on Constance what she was hinting at. When it didn't appear to Maura continued. "Colin was killed because he was Patrick's son."

Suddenly Constance caught up with a bang. "And Patrick told you that he was going to kill O'Rourke to avenge his son."

Maura nodded. "And…." she paused. This was always the part she struggled with. "And to protect me."

"Maura," Constance started.

"He's dead because of me, Mother. A man died because of me and I'll have to tell the world about that in three days."

Constance could tell this was clearly weighing on Maura. "Darling, you are wrong. No one died because of you. That man died because Patrick killed him. Patrick, Maura. Not you."

Maura didn't respond. She had heard Jane tell her that over and over. Hearing from her mother didn't seem to make it any more believable for her. "If it hadn't been for me," Maura started.

"Patrick would have killed the man anyway," Constance insisted. When Maura looked at her shocked she continued. "Did Patrick have a relationship with Colin?" she asked.

"From what he told me, yes," Maura answered.

"And he knew O'Rourke killed his son?" she asked as a second question.

"Yes," Maura answered. Her mind flashed to the phone Patrick had given Maura requesting the name of Colin's killer. She hadn't used the phone and Jane insisted she hadn't either. But someone told Patrick about O'Rourke. "He was told by someone."

"Then," Constance said, "regardless of you, Patrick was going to kill that man anyway. That man killed an Irish mobster's son. His fate was sealed the minute Colin Doyle died." Constance never even flinched when she said it. "Darling, that murder was never about you."

"But," Maura started

"But nothing. With or without you in the mix, that man never stood a chance," she answered.

"You can't know that," Maura replied.

"Unfortunately, yes I most certainly can," she replied.

It was Maura's turn to look uncertain. "How?" she managed.

"Patrick once told me," Constance answered, "that if anyone ever tried to hurt his family he would kill them without giving it a second thought. And I know of at least once that he has."

"What?!" Maura was incredulous.

"Darling," she answered. "I knew all along who your biological father was. And before you ask I never had any idea about your biological mother. Patrick would never speak of her to me. But I knew Patrick. Who he was. What his family was. Yours was not the 'blind, private adoption' we always told you it was."

"Mother…" Maura tried again.

"No, let me explain," Constance said. "Patrick was a student, sort of, in an art class I was teaching while your father was finishing up on his PhD. He had real talent. I thought he was an enrolled student but when I went to work on grades I couldn't find his name. One day after class I asked him why.

"He explained, in surprising candor, who he was. The son of the head of an Irish mob family. Still too young to be a part of the family business but it was coming for him. And soon. He told me he wasn't allowed to register for actual college classes because his father thought book education was a waste of time. His education was to come from life and experience. But, he said he had always wanted to see if he could have made it as an artist and he couldn't resist trying out my course just to see if he had what it took.

"He did. And I believe Patrick would have made for an exceptional artist if he had been allowed to walk his own path. But he clearly did not have that liberty. I promised him I would look the other way and not mention that he was not a registered student and he always seemed to appreciate that. And then one day he simply disappeared.

"I hadn't heard from him for over a year. Until one night he knocked on my front door. He was in a complete state of panic. For a moment I thought he was afraid of getting arrested for something. Instead, he was afraid of his own father. It turns out he had fallen in love with someone his father didn't approve of and that woman was pregnant and about to give birth.

"Patrick insisted that the baby and the mother were both in danger. He just kept repeating that his father would kill his child if he found him or her. Then he begged me to take the child when it was born. I was flabbergasted. Your father wasn't finished with his graduate work and we hadn't really discussed having any children. But the look in Patrick's eyes made me understand the real danger the baby was in.

"I told him I had to talk to your father about it first and he agreed to return the next day for the answer. Before he left I asked why me and he said that I was the only person, outside of the woman he was in love with, who ever saw him as something other than a mobster and a monster. He said he thought that could make me a good parent.

"Your father and I talked and he agreed. When Patrick returned the next day, I told him we would take the baby but we would have to disguise the adoption as private and that our family lawyer would have to handle all the details. Patrick was fine with that.

"Six weeks later, you were born. Three days later, you were mine. Patrick dropped you off and said his goodbyes. The very last thing he said to me was a guarantee that we would be safe from his family. We signed all the papers and our lawyers had everything sealed to hide your identity. For the first few months that we had you, we were both scared of who might come knocking on our door. But no one came, so eventually we settled into our lives with you.

"But, when you were about to turn two, Patrick paid me another visit. The look he had on his face was the same as the night he came to ask me to take you. He was afraid of something. All he asked me was whether I recognized someone and he showed me a photo. I'd never seen the man before. Patrick gave me the picture and told me that if I ever saw the man I was to call him immediately. And then he left without any further explanation.

"Naturally, that scared me and your father. That was the reason we ended up moving to New York. Your father was convinced Patrick wasn't telling us something important and he didn't think it was wise for us to stay in Boston. Two months after Patrick's visit I finally saw the man from the photo. But it was in the newspaper. Your father still had the Boston Herald delivered to us and one morning the man from the photo was on the front page. He had been found murdered. He was an Irish mobster and the police were sure that someone in Doyle's family had been responsible for his death.

"The minute I saw that I knew. I knew Patrick was responsible for that man's death. Just as I'm fairly certain that man threatened Doyle and probably us in some way. Maura, honey, he's a killer. That's who he is but it's never had anything to do with you. From what I've read over the years, Patrick Doyle is responsible for the deaths of several men that had no connection to you whatsoever. None of what he chose to do was ever your responsibility."

"Why didn't you ever tell me this before?" she asked.

"Easy. I loved you too much. When you were a child I was afraid to even say it aloud for fear of it somehow getting back to those who had wanted to hurt you in the beginning. And as time passed, I didn't tell you out of fear of how it could hurt you. How was I supposed to explain to a teenager that her biological father was a criminal and a killer?And when you were an adult, by then you were just mine in my eyes and well I was afraid you would hate me for withholding information from you and I didn't want you to ever hate me."

"I wouldn't have hated you," Maura offered.

"Darling, a mother is entitled to irrational fears. If you ever have a child of your own you will come to understand that."

Maura didn't know what else to say so she sat in silence. After a few moments Constance interjected. "Was there anything else I need to know before Friday?" Kidnapping and unlawful restraint was enough to freak Constance out but she still needed to make sure she knew it all.

"No," Maura admitted. "I mean there are small things. Just some conversations but you know the big ones now."

"Well," Constance replied pulling Maura back into her. "Then come Friday Jane and I will be with you in that courtroom. You will have our unconditional love and support."

Maura tightened her hug of her mother and let herself find a small amount of shelter and peace.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

Jane parked her car in front of the building and sat there for a minute. She wanted to watch the comings and goings of the location for a moment. She looked down at the two envelopes she had taken from Gina's apartment. She hadn't opened either one of them yet but she knew she would do that later. For right now, she wanted to focus on the task at hand.

After a few minutes she opened the car door and made her way into the building. She looked around as she entered and seeing the receptionist desk she figured this would be her best option to get what she wanted. She approached the desk and waited for the young lady to greet her.

"May I help you?" the woman asked with a friendly smile.

Jane flashed her badge at the woman. "I need to speak with Dr. Marten if she is available," Jane asked with the most serious 'cop' face she could produce.

The woman looked from Jane to her badge and back to Jane. She quietly nodded her head and picked up the phone hitting a three digit extension. Jane knew using her clout as a detective to get in to see Hope was probably wrong. But she didn't care. She had had enough of the woman hurting Maura and after their last confrontation Jane could no longer hold her tongue.

The receptionist hung up the phone and looked at the detective. "Dr. Marten will be just a moment," she said.

Jane thanked the receptionist and stepped aside to get out the way of the patients at the clinic. She looked around and found the clinic to be fairly busy but clearly not chaotic. This should play to her favor as she wanted time alone with Hope to speak her mind.

She knew there was a chance Maura would get mad at her for what she was about to do. But, she just couldn't sit on the sidelines and watch Hope continually hurt Maura any longer. She wasn't deliberately trying to make the situation between Hope and Maura worse but she found it impossible not to speak her mind. She loved Maura enough to have a go at her source of frustration and pain. She only hoped Maura would understand her motivations in the end and not get too upset with her.

"Detective Rizzoli," Jane turned around upon hearing Hope's voice. "This is a surprise," she said. She was clearly surprised but Jane could tell she wasn't in danger of being immediately kicked out of the clinic.

"I wasn't sure if you would agree to see me if I tried to call ahead," Jane replied honestly. "May I have a few minutes?" She looked around and added, "In private?"

Hope eyed the detective standing in front of her. She couldn't get a read from Jane's body language but she was sure the detective wasn't here for pleasantries. Part of her didn't want to get into a room alone with her daughter's girlfriend. But a part of her wondered if maybe there was a chance that a conversation with Jane could succeed where her attempts with Maura had just failed miserably.

Finally, Hope answered Jane. "Why don't we step into my office. I have some time before my next appointment," she answered.

If Hope was at all nervous to be alone with Jane, she hid it well. Jane nodded and followed Hope into the maze of the clinic and into Hope's office. She waited until Hope gestured towards one of the chairs before she went to sit down.

"How is your recovery going?" Hope asked as she settled into her office chair and looked up at Jane.

"I'm progressing," Jane replied. "I should lose the sling sometime next week."

"I am glad your injuries were not more serious," she offered.

"Thank you. So was I," Jane offered.

A silence fell over them as both women stared at each other. It almost immediately turned into a battle of wills as to who would blink first. For this, Jane was at a distinct advantage. She had spent her life staring down hardened criminals and Hope was no match for her. In fact, Hope didn't last too long before falling victim to the Rizzoli stare.

"I assume you are here to talk about the other day with Maura," Hope announced.

"In part," Jane answered. "but what I wanted to discuss with you is more a generalization than about the other day specifically."

"Alright," Hope replied and steady herself for the anger she expected to get from the detective.

Jane looked at Hope and tried to figure out the best way to phrase her first question. "Hope, I'm just going to be blunt as I don't really have the patience to beat around the bush. I'm wondering if you even have any idea at all how much you hurt her when you act the way you do around her. I'm trying to figure out if it is deliberate."

Jane really wanted to understand Hope's intentions. If it was intentional then she knew just what to do and how to protect Maura. But if Hope really didn't get what she did to Maura each and every time their paths had crossed then that made her options a bit different.

"Detective," she started.

"Hope, it's Jane. I'm not here as a cop. I'm here as the woman who loves your daughter and who is trying to understand why you keep devastating her every chance you seem to get."

Hope sighed. "Jane, I've never tried to deliberately hurt Maura. I can't deny that isn't what has happened but I swear to you that I've never set out to hurt her."

"So you do understand that your actions have hurt her," Jane asked.

Hope looked down but nodded. "I understand that there have been a few communication issues between the two of us," she answered.

"Bullshit," Jane said sternly. "Don't try to clean up what has happened between the two of you by hiding behind some 'communication issues' cop out. If we are going to talk about this at least let's be honest with each other otherwise I might as well just leave."

Round two of the staredown commenced and Jane again was the winner.

"Jane, you have to understand how hard this has been for me," Hope replied.

"Now you see, that right there is part of the problem. I've never met anyone as selfish as you can be," she said deciding to stick with the candor. "From the minute you walked into Maura's life it has been all about you. All about what you want. Or Cailin. Not once have you ever shown any regard for Maura. Again, I have to ask. Is that intentional?"

"I…." Hope started but stopped. "It's not intentional," she finally gave as a weak answer.

"But it is frequent," Jane pointed out. "First you spend your time talking about Cailin and her attitude and health problems. Then you devastate Maura by reflecting on what a 'mistake' having Maura was for your life and how you were being punished. Then you find out Maura is a donor match for Cailin and that becomes the only thing you want from her. Oh, and let's not forget when you accused Maura of lying when the truth about who she was to you finally came out. I don't even want to get into how you treated her after you got what you wanted. Maura selflessly saves Cailin's life and you couldn't even come and say thank you in person. You couldn't be bothered to at least express a small amount of common courtesy."

Jane was getting worked up. The more she thought about what Hope had done and how she had treated Maura the angrier she was getting.

"Jane, I know I've messed up. Don't you think I know that. I'm fairly certain that I've ruined any chance of ever having a relationship with Maura. But you have to understand that I've gone so long without having one with her that I'm not very good at taking her and her needs into consideration. Of course I know I've hurt her. But I just haven't been able to realize that I'm doing it until it is too late."

"Hope, if you just once showed her that she was any kind of priority to you at all," Jane started but this time was interrupted by Hope.

"Of course she's a priority to me," Hope fired back angrily. "She's my daughter. A daughter, I will remind you, that I was kept from interacting with throughout her entire life. My God Jane, you have no idea at all how hard it has been over the years to know she was out there and not be able to be a part of her life. To not be able to see her. Talk to her. Get to know her. See her grow into the woman she became. So, don't you dare judge me for all the mistakes I know I've made. I never wanted it to be this way. That wasn't my doing."

Jane's eyes widen as she listened to Hope talk. She just stared at Hope and found she was unable to speak for a moment. Hope, noticing the look on Jane's face, had simply stopped talking and returned the stare.

"Oh my God!" Jane exclaimed. "You knew! You knew all about her this whole time, didn't you."

Hope dropped her eyes and silently cursed herself for making that big of a mistake. She didn't answer Jane. Didn't want to answer Jane. Couldn't answer Jane.

"Hope? You knew Maura was alive all this time, didn't you?" Jane asked again although she was already certain of that answer.

Hope sat in silence. If it was possible, she seemed to shrink into her chair.

"You knew. You knew and you treated her like shit! You lied to her. You made her feel worthless. You told your own daughter she was the biggest mistake of your life knowing exactly who she was when you said that. That is your definition of not trying to deliberately hurt her? Are you capable of compassion at all? Or are you really just a cold hearted bitch?"

Jane couldn't believe it. Hope had known who Maura was before they ever met. None of the things Hope had said or done since the day she walked into that morgue for the first time made a single ounce of sense to Jane in that moment. The thought of what that woman had put Maura through now infuriated her even more.

Hope didn't respond.

Jane stood up and turned to walk out of the office but stopped right at the door. Turning back to Hope she spoke. "Do you want to know what's really sad? Maura is the best person I know. That I've ever known. She's got so much capacity to love and so little ability to hurt others. She's never deliberately hurt a single person in her entire life. But she thinks she has. She blames herself for something that was never her fault. She can't forgive herself for it regardless of how many times I try to convince her otherwise.

"And in two days she has to get up in front of the world and explain to people how she was involved with a murderer. How her interactions with a person who is evil and dead inside and capable of nothing but violence and pain lead to a murder. A murder she thinks was her fault. She has to sit in judgement from people who will never know how truly wonderful she is. People who will never get to see what amazing really entails. They will judge her. Not by her actions but by the actions of a man whose only tie to her is on a cellular level.

"She's done nothing to deserve any of what is about to happen to her. Nothing. Why awful things happen to incredible people while others move through life with ease and at the expense of others is beyond me. But that's you. You've been allowed to waltz in and out of her life whenever it has suited your needs without a thought or care about what that has done to her.

"I used to think it was sad that you were denied the chance to really get to know her. I used to think you were as much of a victim of Patrick Doyle as Maura was. I used to feel sorry for you. But you are worse than Doyle. You're selfish and manipulative. Doyle may be evil, but you, you are cruel.

"Stay away from her," Jane said in a tone that quite frankly scared Hope. "That shouldn't be too hard of a task for you. After all, you've apparently had years of practice." And with that, Jane walked out of the office never once looking back.

R&I

"Dr. Marten?" a nurse stuck her head into Hope's office unsure of what she would find. The doctor hadn't answered her office line or cell phone in over twenty minutes. The staff was starting to get worried about her.

The worry did not abate when the nurse just found Dr. Marten sitting at her desk staring ahead with a blank look on her face. She cleared her throat and tried again only a little louder this time. "Dr. Marten?"

Hope finally looked up and was somewhat surprised to see Carol standing in her doorway. "Yes Carol?" she replied.

"Dr. Marten, is everything alright?" the nurse asked.

Hope nodded. "Everything is fine. Did you need something?"

"Your next patient is here. You weren't answering your phone or your cell phone," she said not buying that the doctor was ok.

"Right," Hope said. "I'll be right there," she stated dismissively.

Reluctantly the nurse nodded and closed Hope's office door. Hope pulled her cell phone from her pocket and scrolled through her contact list looking for the number she needed. Finding it, she hit send and waited for an answer.

The call was answered on the second ring.

"I need to see you," she said and paused to listen to the reply. "I don't care. I need to see you now." Her tone was firm and demanding. "No, it has to be today. This can't wait." Another pause. "Two hours. Fine." With that, Hope hung up the phone and went to go find her next patient. She was sure they were now behind schedule and she would try to get the clinic caught up before she needed to leave.

R&I

Jane was too worked up to go straight home. She needed a distraction after that confrontation with Hope. She was sure she wasn't going to mention anything that had just happened to Maura. At least not before the trial. Maura was already so stressed and worried about testifying the last thing she needed to to find out that Hope had been aware of who she was before Maura first met her. Jane just wasn't ready to break that kind of news to Maura.

So instead of going straight home, Jane pointed her car towards downtown Boston. Once she found a decent place to park Jane walked over to one of her favorite places in the entire city. Boston Common. It was a nice day and she figured the fresh air would do her some good. She had grabbed both the envelopes from Gina's apartment and figured now was a good time to open and review each of them to see if they held any clue to what may have happened.

Jane took a set on a bench near the duck pond and decided to open the envelope from the Phoenix Foundation first. It took Jane a minute to figure out what it was she was reading and once she did she couldn't stop the initial feeling of disappoint. She had been hoping for something that might be a clue but instead she was simply reading a monthly newsletter for the foundation. It appeared to be a mailer sent out to give updates.

She had absolutely no idea what the Phoenix Foundation was but as she scanned through the newsletter type articles she got the sense that the foundation was some sort of charity organization. All the blurbs from the newsletter seemed to be geared towards either status updates on people detailing how their lives had improved thanks to the help of the foundation and its members or a few new stories of someone in need of help or assistance. Despite her initial gut instinct about the phoenix decal, this appeared to be a dead end.

She put the newsletter down and tried her luck at the letter from the law office. As she opened that and began to read through the first couple of sections, she immediately know she had found something that might at least give her a place to start looking. She stopped and began to read the letter slowly from the beginning.

_Cushing & Dolan LLC_  
_Jeffrey Dolan, LLC_  
_Re: Franklin Estate Trust and Beneficiaries_  
_June 14, 2013_

_Ms. Franklin,_

_Per our last meeting on June 3, 2013 I have put together the information that you requested in regards to amending the terms and conditions for the trusts with the exception of Eric's. As far as I am able to ascertain, there is no legal prohibitive for making the amendments you are suggesting. However, I must continue to caution you against such an act. There are numerous estate tax implications for the changes you are considering as well as my renewed concerns about the security and availability of the trust funds, especially for Eric, if you proceed with this arrangement._

_I have enclosed several articles for your consideration that discuss those tax liability and implication concerns. Please review all the enclosed materials. I feel another meeting with you to discuss this matter is warranted. After your review of the documents please set up of time with my office and I would be more than happy to discuss any questions or concerns you may have._

_Again, out of an abundance of caution, please do not make any final decisions until we have had a chance to discuss this further._

_Regards,_

_Jeffrey Dolan, LLC_

Jane read the letter a second time. Clearly, Gina was exploring some sort of change to trust funds and her lawyer was not in favor. Any change that involved money could always signal a possible motive when murder was involved. Jane knew her first stop tomorrow was going to be the law offices of Cushing & Dolan. Perhaps Mr. Dolan could shed some light on exactly what changes Gina was looking to make and why he seemed reluctant to have Gina make those changes.

She folded up the letter from the lawyer and returned it to the envelope which in fact did contain several articles about inheritance tax and estate planning. She was about to fold up and place the newsletter from the Phoenix Foundation back in its envelope when a breeze moved through and knocked the newsletter out of Jane's hand. She bent over to pick it up and noticed something she hadn't seen the first time she skimmed through the newsletter.

_**Lansing Earns Top Honors**_

The news blurb was a brief announcement that Kevin Lansing had earned top honors and would be receiving his award from the foundation founder Jacob Denton during next month's semi-annual benefit night. What top honor it was or what he did to earn such a recognition the blurb did not say.

But seeing Lansing's name in print on the newsletter seemed to put the Phoenix Foundation back in play for Jane. She had seen the phoenix decal from Gina's refrigerator one other place. Jane remembered a CSRU photo from Kevin Lansing's bedroom. In that photo, Lansing's laptop was on a desk and opened. The photo captured what Jane had assumed was his screensaver. It was a picture of a phoenix. The same phoenix used for the foundation's decal. She had no idea what it all meant but her gut was definitely trying to speak with her.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen

Jane did some research on the Phoenix Foundation when she returned home that evening and discovered that it was a Boston based non-profit support organization specializing in grief counseling and support services for children who have suffered a loss. According to her Google search, the Phoenix Foundation was started in 2003 by Executive Director/CEO Jacob Denton for the purpose of establishing grief support groups and services geared towards helping children dealing with a death or other traumatic experience in their family. The Phoenix Foundation sponsored various programs and curriculum aimed at helping build the self confidence and self esteem of vulnerable children during troubling times.

As Jane had browsed the foundation's website she found testimonials, several examples of programs and training materials, resources, news and information on upcoming events in the Boston area. She also found information on Denton, the Board of Trustees, Annual financial reports and a link for people to make a donation to the Foundation.

The site offered up a biography, including a photo, of Jacob Denton. According the the website, Denton had a solid business background having worked in upper management in several Fortune 500 companies. Denton, who had suffered the loss of both his parents after a car accident at the age of 11, started the Phoenix Foundation to offer the services he felt most communities simply could not afford to offer but children living through grief desperately needed.

As Jane scrolled through the site she reviewed the personnel information that was made available. Besides Denton, the Foundation had an eleven member Governing Board, an eight member Trustees Board and something called the Young Professionals Board. When Jane clicked onto that link, it took her to a list of fourteen Board members who were between the ages of 23-35. As Jane scanned the list, she found Kevin Lansing's name.

Lansing did not have an individual link for further information available but Jane read through the overview of the Young Professionals Board. According to the website, the board served as an advisory board that served to support the overall mission of the Phoenix Foundation. The website claimed that the support came in the form of technical expertise and assessment on various programs by the board members. The youth board was also charged with assisting in fundraising and acting as liaisons between constituents and the Foundation.

As Jane took in the entirety of the website something bothered her. While the site had all the bells and whistles of a charity site if she looked closely it seemed to lack details. The bio for Jacob Denton never specifically listed which Fortune 500 companies he had worked for nor was there any substantial information available for the listed members of the Governing Board or the Board of Trustees. A review of the testimonials all were somewhat vague and overly generic. As were some of the photos used on the site.

Jane wasn't good with reviewing financial reports or annual reports so she couldn't get a feel from what was made available if that was of any value. Also, at dinner she had asked Maura if she had ever heard of the Phoenix Foundation. Maura was actively involved with the Isles Foundation so she thought maybe she had run across this group at a fundraiser. But Maura had never heard of the group before. And when Maura glanced through the Foundation's website she also noted the general and vague information about the CEO and Board members.

When Maura pulled up the website for the Isles Foundation to show Jane the difference, it was immediately clear. On the Isles Foundation site, each Board Member had a link to a specific biography and included contact methods for each member. And in comparison, the available biography for the Isles Foundation CEO was three times as long as the one for Denton.

Jane was unsure if any of this meant that there was an issue or a concern with the Foundation or that they simply had a different style of website than the Isles Foundation. Maura said she would contact Constance and the Isles Foundation Executive Director to see if either had heard of the Phoenix Foundation or Jacob Denton.

Jane still had more questions than answers at this point. But she now had two places she was going to visit the next morning: the law offices of Cushing & Dolan and the headquarters for the Phoenix Foundation.

R&I

"In the matter of the United States versus Patrick Doyle these proceedings are hereby called to order. The Honorable Judge Alexander Miller presiding," the bailiff announced as the Judge made his way to his seat.

After getting settled, the Judge looked over at the AUSA, "Is the United States ready to proceed?"

The Assistant US Attorney William Bennett stood to answer, "Yes your Honor," and he sat down.

Miller looked over at the defense table, "Is the defense ready to proceed?"

Lead defense attorney Jonathan Andrews stood to answer, "Yes your Honor," and he too sat down,

"Very well," commented Miller. "Mr. Bennett, your opening statement."

AUSA Bennett stood and walked over towards the jury. The United States versus Patrick Doyle RICO case was about to begin.

R&I

Jane glanced over at the time. It was 9:22 am. She picked up her phone and typed a message.

_So? -J_

She wouldn't have to wait long for a response.

_It's begun. -M_

Jane released a sigh. A part of her held out some hope, for Maura's sake, that the start of the RICO trial would somehow be postponed. It had happened once before so there was at least a small chance of one of the lawyers trying to vie for more time. The AUSA had warned Maura the day before that he didn't anticipate any further postponements or delays since the juror had been selected and sworn in. But Jane still had some hope.

_I'm sorry. But I will be right by your side for all of it. -J_

Even before the medical leave, Jane had requested the time off surrounding Maura's testimony. There was no way she was going to let Maura go through any of this alone. She knew that Constance and Angela would be there as well. Maura's father was detained out of the country for some matter and wouldn't be joining. Jane kept her opinion about his level of participation in Maura's life to herself but it pissed her off.

_I love you. -M_

Jane read Maura's response and smiled. Anytime the woman said or typed that it made her smile. She wished there was more for Maura she could do but for now, all she could offer was the unconditional love and support she had for her and Jane would have to hope that was enough.

Jane wondered if she should try plan something special for Maura for later that night. She knew Maura was anxious about Friday. Thinking about it, Jane was now sure she needed to do something to try to distract Maura even if only for a few hours. She wasn't sure what but she had some time to try and figure that out.

_I love you too. Get back to work and I will see you tonight. -J_

Maura wasn't going to sit through the trial. She only wanted to be in that courtroom for when her testimony was needed. She didn't need to sit and listen to the activities of her father's criminal enterprise nor did she want to give reporters more opportunities to turn her into headlines. She was set to testify first thing Friday morning and the AUSA was sure he would stay on schedule.

_Be careful today. Remember what you promised. I have calls into Mother and the Isles Foundation about Denton. -M_

Jane was just getting ready to head over to the law office to try to speak with Jeffrey Dolan. She was hoping he would give her some insight into what might have prompted Gina Franklin to request information on changes towards a trust fund.

_I remember. I promise. Any signs of issues it'll be Frost and Korsak to the rescue. -J_

_Let's hope they won't be needed- XOX -M_

_XOX LL NN -J_

_LL NN? -M_

_LL- lick lick (from Jo) and NN- nudge nudge (from Bass) -J_

_Ohhh :D so sweet -M_

_See you tonight! -J_

R&I

"Thank you for seeing me without an appointment," Jane said as she took a seat across from Jeffrey Dolan.

"I was shocked and saddened by the events that occurred," Dolan stated. "It was bad enough with what happened to Gina but Eric," he said and Jane noticed his eyes shift to her injured shoulder. "Such a tragedy."

Jane was grateful that the man was kind enough not to ask any questions about Jane's involvement although she was sure he'd read about it all in the paper. "Mr. Dolan, I was hoping you could be of some assistance in our investigation," Jane said.

Dolan nodded, "I'll do what I can," he offered. He seemed like a genuine man.

Jane handed him the letter she had taken from Gina's apartment. "We recovered this from Ms. Franklin's apartment. I was hoping you might shed some light on the specifics."

Dolan read through the note and then looked up at Jane and sighed. "What do you need to know?"

"What can you tell me?" Jane said. She wasn't sure how open he would be given that he was Gina's lawyer.

"The question of privilege surviving death is a complicated one," Dolan started. "However, given that the nature of my communications with Ms. Franklin revolved around the estate of her parent's, her estate and the estate of her brother, I do believe I can discuss some of the recent events that prompted this letter."

Jane breathed a sigh of relief. If Dolan had refused to talk with her there wasn't much she could really do. She was technically on leave and wasn't supposed to be even looking into the matter at all so the last thing she would have been able to do was to get a court order to get Dolan to talk.

"The letter suggested that Gina was considering making some changes to a trust. I assume it was a trust established by her parents?" Jane asked.

"No actually. Gina had several trusts established shortly after receiving the bulk of her parent's estate." Noticing Jane's confusion he explained. "The death of Gina and Eric's parents was quite unexpected and unfortunately their affairs were not very organized. There was no will or any specific provisions established.

"Gina was 19 at the time of their death and Eric was 8. Despite the age difference, she was close with her brother. The closest living relative was an aunt but she lived in California and Eric had never even met her. Gina insisted that she could care for Eric and was awarded guardianship. She even dropped out of school to do so.

"But, she was still only 19 and the notion of an inheritance and taxes and sudden responsibilities scared her. When she became our client, we discussed her fears and mostly she was afraid that she would do something stupid and waste money or make a financial mistake that would hurt Eric. So, we took her and Eric's inheritance and established several different trust funds.

"One for each of them that wasn't supposed to be touched until each had turned twenty five and a third trust that Gina used to support Eric and herself. But even that one had pretty tight controls. We set it up to give her a monthly allowance that was sufficient to cover bills, food, necessities and some disposable income. She received money for rent every six months which she paid directly to her landlord and she was given the funds to pay for continuing her college education through an online site."

"And Gina set the terms and conditions of all these trusts?" Jane asked.

"Yes," he answered. "Given how her parents didn't leave any instructions behind Gina didn't want to have that happen again in case something happened to her. So the trusts were established and she even had a will drafted once she was officially given guardianship of Eric. I will say, for 19 even though she seemed worried about her own maturity level, Ms. Franklin had it more together than some of my adult clients."

Jane nodded. She couldn't even really imagine what it would be like to have to suddenly care for and raise a kid when she was only 19. She had to respect Gina's efforts in looking after her brother. "So, did she tell you what prompted her wanting to make some changes?"

Dolan couldn't help the annoyed look that came across his face. "The Phoenix Foundation," he offered as the explanation.

"I'm sorry, could you explain that please," Jane requested. She needed more detail but was immediately intrigued that the change of trust requests may be tied to this charity.

"Have you heard of the Phoenix Foundation Detective?" Dolan asked.

"Not until this investigation," Jane answered honestly, "but I am now aware of the non-profit group."

"Off the record Detective, you should have some people look into the affairs of that 'non-profit' group," he replied.

"Clearly, you are not a fan," Jane pointed out.

Dolan sighed. "Detective, it is not my place to make judgements on the requests of my clients. But sometimes, well sometimes what my clients want to do is not always what is in their best interest. I will say that what Ms. Franklin wanted to do was most definitely not in hers or Eric's best interest."

"What exactly did she want to change?" Jane asked.

"Gina had requested a meeting with me about six weeks ago and during that meeting she wanted to know if the terms of the three trusts could be changed. She wanted to add a beneficiary to all three trusts, she wanted to remove the restrictions on her trust and the one established for the living expenses and she wanted to give access to investments and funds to someone."

Jane had Kevin Lansing's name immediately enter her mind. Maybe Kevin was after Gina's money and that's what they fought about. "Who did she want to give this all to?" Jane asked.

"Jacob Denton," Dolan answered.

"The CEO of the Phoenix Foundation?" Jane asked surprised. That wasn't what she was expecting to hear.

"The same," Dolan answered.

Jane was quiet for a few moments trying to decide what all of this meant. Looking at Dolan she had only two more questions for him. "Did Gina make the changes?" The letter from Dolan made it appear as if Gina had not yet done so.

"No," he answered. "In fact, I'm pretty sure she decided against it. She left a message with my secretary saying she no longer wanted to pursue any changes at this time."

"When did she say that?" Jane asked.

"Two days before she was killed," Dolan answered.

Jane's gut was reacting off the charts. She never bought into coincidences. "Mr. Dolan, may I ask what happens to the estate now?"

"Gina's will and instructions left everything to Eric," he answered quietly. "But given the fact that he did not survive the entire estate now will be split amongst four Aunts and one Uncle."

"Can you tell me the value of Gina's estate?" Jane asked.

"Not an exact amount but it is somewhere in the neighborhood of $1.5 million dollars."

All Jane could think was that she may have found the $1 million motive.

R&I

"Given the hour," Judge Miller announced, "this court will stand in recess until 2 pm at which time, Mr. Andrews, the defense will proceed with your opening statement."

The courtroom rose and waited for the jury and the judge to leave. As the bailiff walked up to retrieve Doyle to take him to a holding cell for his supervised lunch Andrews looked at the bailiff.

"Please arrange for a conference room," he said feigning disinterest.

"That wasn't planned for today," the bailiff stated.

"I need to confer with my client," Andrews pushed back. "There were a few details from Mr. Bennett's opening that I need to discuss with him."

The bailiff simply nodded. It really didn't matter to him if Doyle was under guard in a cell or under guard in a conference room. Their protection and security of him was adequate. "Give us ten minutes and then you can find him in conference room A." Room A had no windows and was in the middle of a long hallway making any 'escape' scenarios more challenging. The ten minutes was enough time for them to do a complete sweep to ensure nothing unusual was found.

"Ten minutes," Andrews replied with a nod of the head. He turned to Doyle who seemed confused about this sudden need for a conference. "We," and he stressed that word as subtly but as strongly as he could, "will see you in ten minutes."

Doyle picked up on the intonation. He simply nodded. Something was going on and he was about to have unexpected company for lunch.

R&I

Ten minutes later Andrews and a paralegal who carried several files made their way down to the secure conference rooms. Both were put through a second security screening with a wand and each had their briefcases searched. Not finding anything unusual, they were allowed access to conference room A.

"Doyle will be here in a few minutes," Andrews was told. He simply nodded and took a seat and indicated for the paralegal to sit as well.

About five minutes later the door to the conference room opened and Doyle was brought in by two guards. He looked from his lawyer to the paralegal and back his lawyer but he did not seem to react to the situation. Once he was seated, the guard removed his handcuffs and then both guards exited the conference room. Both, however, took up posts at the door.

No one in the room said a word until the door was completely closed. Doyle broke the silence. "Hope."

She looked across the table at him, "Patrick."

Both just stared at each other. Hope was clearly nervous and Patrick was clearly confused.

"You have about an hour before we need to be back in court," Andrews said. He moved his chair off to the side to try to give the two as much privacy as possible. He couldn't leave the room without drawing suspicion to this encounter but he did his best to get out of their way.

"Hope," Doyle said again breaking an uncomfortable silence. "What are you doing here?"

"I had to see you," Hope answered back. "Patrick, this has to end."

R&I

"Thanks for meeting me," Jane said as she slid into the booth.

"No problem," Frost answered back with a smile. "I ordered your usual minus the beer."

"Thanks," Jane smiled. She hadn't had a Robber burger in almost two weeks. She was sure her body was going through signs of withdrawal. She pulled out the two letters she removed from Gina's apartment and handed them over for Frost to review.

"What's this?" Frost asked looking at the two items.

"Quite possibly our mysterious 'they' and almost certainly a possible motive for Gina Franklin's murder," Jane replied.

Frost stopped looking at the two items and looked up at his partner. He didn't even try to stop the smile that spread across his face. If Jane was looking into the Franklin file he left behind that had to mean she was going to be coming back. Korsak said Jane didn't know when he had asked her. This had to be an indication of her intentions.

"Don't smile at me like that," Jane admonished but with a hint of play. After a few moments and Frost's refusal to wipe the grin off his face she spoke again. "Look, I'll be completely honest with you. I still don't know what I want to do. I'm sorry I can't really explain this right now. But I promised Eric Franklin I would find everyone that was involved in his sister's death. Let's work on this for now. But I can't promise anything more after that. Not yet anyway."

Frost would take what he could get. Every inch Jane moved forward was an inch closer to having her back. Progress, no matter the size, was a good thing. "Alright," he said to let her know he wasn't going to push. Jane would get to where she needed to get to in her own time and in her own way. "So, what did you find out?" he asked.

"That it's a hell of alot harder to get in to see a CEO than it is to see a lawyer," she said without hiding her frustrations. Getting in to see Dolan was a piece of cake compared to trying to get in to see Denton. Jane brought Frost up to date on what she had learned about the Phoenix Foundation from the Internet. "So, unless I want to forcibly play the 'Detective Rizzoli' role I don't think I can get to him."

"And given that you are on a medical leave," Frost hinted.

"I can't forcibly play anything right now. I tried to set up an appointment but the best I could even hope for is late night week," she sighed in frustration. "We need to know more about that foundation and Denton."

"I'll review the financials that are available on the foundation's site but I'll also query Denton, the Board members and the Foundation and see what I can come up with," Frost said. "If Maura and Constance haven't come across this guy at any function for the Isles Foundation that has to mean something. What did you get from the lawyer?"

Their food was delivered and while they ate Jane filled Frost in on what she learned from Dolan. Frost was just as surprised as Jane to hear that Gina considered giving Denton access to her trust funds. "We need to get someone from inside the Phoenix Foundation to talk to us," she pointed out.

"Like I said, I'll run everything I can think of on the foundation and Denton. And I'll add in a cross reference of Lansing's social media activity and anyone we can link to Phoenix. Maybe we can find someone that way," he suggested.

Jane nodded. "While you do that, I'll visit Lansing's apartment and his job and see if there is anything more I can find." They finished their lunch before both headed off in separate directions.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen

Jane didn't have any issues getting into Kevin Lansing's apartment. A quick flash of her badge to the landlord was all it took. Unlike the Franklin residence, Lansing's rent was not prepaid and Jane was sure the landlord was anxiously awaiting notification that he could let Lansing's family get his stuff out.

"Once the case is officially closed or we determine that no further evidence can be collected," Jane informed the manager as they walked towards Lansing's apartment, "then we will release the apartment."

The landlord gave a half grunt as an answer not really happy with Jane's none answer-answer. After he unlocked Lansing's door he headed back to his office. Jane had no issues with the man not sticking around. She wanted some time to go through Lansing's things without worrying about the landlord hovering.

As Jane made her way into Lansing's apartment she opened the file Frost had given her that detailed what items were removed during CSRU's initial sweep of the apartment. All of the usual electronics, phones, laptop, a PC hard drive and an iPad had already been seized. Frost had told Jane he was trying to go through the contents as he got the items from the crime lab. Outside of the electronics, CSRU removed the gun found under his mattress, all of the clothing items found in his hamper in the bathroom and his shoes. There was a partial shoe imprint left at the Franklin crime scene and the techs were trying to find a match to that shoe.

Jane noticed the lack of gun paraphernila recovered from the apartment. No bullets, case, gun cabinet, cleaning supplies were found or listed. A check had already confirmed Lansing did not have any guns registered and the gun recovered had the serial numbers filed off making identification harder. Frost had told Jane that they were running the ballistics through the system to see if the gun could be linked to any other crimes. The lack of gun related items in Lansing's apartment made Jane serious wonder whether the gun found was even Lansing's.

Jane started looking room by room. She didn't have anything specific she was looking for but when it came time for searches like this. She often found it worked better for her not have a specific idea as it let her stay open to 'seeing' items better as she searched. She started in the kitchen but she didn't find anything unusual in any of the drawers. Nor was there anything in the freezer. Her days in Vice taught her to always check the freezer. Outside of a similar Phoenix Foundation magnet on the refrigerator, there was nothing in the kitchen.

Nor was there anything in his living room area. He had a collection of movies and music and there was a video gaming system. But there wasn't anything of value or interest any the closet or any of the drawers. Unlike Gina's place there was no mail for Jane to look through and she was starting to wonder if the initial sweep had found anything there was to find.

As she entered the bedroom, she first checked out the desk. There were some books on the desk but as she flipped through them she didn't find anything. He had one framed picture on his desk and it was of him with both Gina and Eric. Jane looked at the photo and while it was sweet she found it rather odd that he kept a frame photo of his girlfriend and her brother in his room. She picked up the frame and she immediately knew there was more to the photo.

The weight was off. It felt heavier than it should have been. Jane turned it over and slid off the back of the frame. Sure enough, behind the photo was a folded set of papers which Jane removed. She looked at them briefly but all she could make out was a series of numbers and what looked like values. If she had to guess these were bank account numbers. But whose they were or what banks Jane did not know.

Not finding anything else with the desk she checked the closet. Lansing had several shoe boxes stacked in his closet. As Jane removed each box one at the time she found everything but shoes. And nothing pertaining to the investigation. Until the last box. Once Jane opened the last box at first she thought it was again a box full of miscellaneous papers until about halfway under the pile she found a notebook.

What caught her attention about the notebook was finding the same phoenix decal that seemed to represent the Phoenix Foundation. She opened the notebook and found a list of some names, addresses and several dates. All addresses were in the Boston area. Jane didn't know what to make of this or the hidden bank account information but she planned to take both items and run down the information.

Finding nothing more in the closet and also striking out in the bathroom, Jane collected the list she found from the picture frame and the notebook. Looking around one last time, she didn't think there was anything further the apartment would give her and she made her way out. She had a rehab session she needed to get to and then she had plans with Maura for the evening. She would show Frost the information she found at the apartment when she went to pick up Maura at the station.

R&I

Maura was surprised at how quickly the day passed. The tasks she needed to do for the day had provided her with a steady means of staying occupied and she was very thankful for that. It was just enough for her to keep her mind off of the start of the RICO trial. Outside of her exchange with Jane that morning she hadn't spoken about it to anyone all day. She knew the station was aware of the trial and her connection to it but everyone was thankfully leaving the subject as something best not discussed which was just fine with Maura.

She packed up her belongings after saving the last few additions she made to an autopsy report and was ready to head home. She missed Jane. She never stopped to consider just how often they got to spend time together during their work days until Jane was not actually at work. It seemed so quiet in the lab and in her office without Jane's multiple trips down to see her. And Maura suddenly seemed to realize how much time she spent up in the bullpen visiting with Jane and the guys when it dawned on her that she hadn't been upstairs since Jane went on leave. Interacting with Jane always made her days go better.

She wondered for a moment what it would be like to work at the station if Jane didn't come back. Maura loved what she did and was sure she would continue as the medical examiner but she had to admit the very thought of Jane no longer ever hovering over her as she studied a body in the field or conducted an autopsy in the morgue gave her an uneasy feeling. The place would never be the same without her. Maura was pretty sure it was something that she really didn't want to have to get used to.

Maura had no idea what Jane was going to do. She was still unclear as to what Jane was undecided about or what was really driving the doubts she so clearly seemed to be experiencing. They had progressed to a point in their relationship where Maura absolutely trusted Jane when she promised that once she figured it out she would talk with her. She just hoped that would be soon. She didn't like seeing Jane struggle through anything and wanted her to be at peace with whatever battle she was waging with herself.

As she placed the final items into her bag to head out there was a small knock on her office door. Slightly annoyed that someone was about to delay her departure she looked up and was surprised to see Jane leaning against the door frame with an adorable, but slightly goofy, grin on her face.

"Jane, what are you doing here?" she asked surprised. They did not have plans that she could remember. Plus, Jane seemed to have been avoiding the station like the plague since she had gotten injured.

"Picking up my girlfriend for a night out," Jane said with a smile. She entered into Maura's office carrying a duffle bag. As soon as Maura was close enough Jane leaned in for a hello kiss. Full and strong. An excellent way to be greeted.

"We didn't make any plans," she said not really protesting but she was eyeing the duffle bag suspiciously.

"Correction. You didn't make any plans. I, on the other hand, have the night pretty well laid out for us," and she smiled a signature Rizzoli smile.

"But," Maura started.

"No buts," Jane interrupted. "your brain needs a break. I'm staging an intervention." She handed over the duffle bag to Maura. "Here, you need to change," offering up no other details.

Maura took the bag from Jane but just stood there for a minute. She knew what Jane meant and was instantly reminded of how absolutely lucky she was to have Jane in her life and just how much she absolutely loved her. The woman just always knew exactly when she needed to stop the whirlwind swirling in her head. Curiosity got the best of her. "Where are we going and why do I need to change?"

"Now Maura, after all this time you should know better than to ask me much a silly question," Jane replied with a smirk. She never told Maura about surprises ahead of time. "But I will tell you this. Considering what started today and where I just know your head is, I figured you needed to get pulled out of all of that. At least for a little while. So, tonight is about just spending some time together in a few places that hold good memories for us." After a moment and Maura hadn't made a move to get changed she added, "And you need to change because as gorgeous as you look in that dress, it's just not very practical for tonight's activities."

Maura nodded her head and moved towards her private bathroom. "So you know, Jane," she said with a feigned pout, "that really didn't help me very much."

"Yeah, probably not," was all Jane said with a smile. As much as Maura tried to pout about anything Jane was sure she was excited for a night out and she most definitely sure she needed it. The RICO trial had officially begun and Jane knew Maura needed her. She would do anything to help Maura through the next several days.

Maura popped out of the bathroom once changed into the more suitable attire Jane had given her of jeans, casual top and sneakers. Jane just stared and smiled. The woman could make anything look sexy as hell. How she ever got lucky enough to have the beauty in front of her love and want her too was something Jane figured she'd never really come to understand. She was just happy to cherish each day she had with Maura.

"You are stunning," Jane announced not really able to resist as she continued to stare at Maura.

Maura smirked, "It's just denim Jane," she tried to dismiss.

"M, you are absolutely breathtakingly beautiful," Jane insisted again not willing to let Maura deny how gorgeous she truly was. To confirm her point, Jane approached and captured Maura's lips once again. This time the kiss was passionate and full of promise.

When they both pulled apart each had the exact same goofy grin on their faces. They both let themselves get lost in the eyes of the other for a minute before Jane finally spoke again. "Shall we?" she asked.

"Of course," Maura replied and moved to gather her things. "Where are we going again?" she asked playfully.

"Patience," was all Jane would say and they headed to the elevator towards the parking garage. Once they were to Jane's vehicle Jane opened the door for Maura to get into the car.

"I'm not driving?" Maura asked not really surprised.

"Nope," Jane answered. "You don't know where we are going. Plus, I'd like to get to the first place before tomorrow," she answered through a snicker.

Maura couldn't stop the giggle as she made her way into the car. She didn't drive slow. She just drove the speed limit. Something she found Jane regarded as mere suggestions and not actual law.

Jane made her way around to the driver's side and got in. They headed off into the night.

R&I

Maura was surprised when Jane pulled into a marina off the wharf and parked the car. Without explanation, Jane got out the car and walked around to open Maura's car door. "Come on," she said as Maura got out of the car. Jane took Maura's hand and lead her down towards the docks.

Suddenly, Maura remembered having been down this way one other time and she now knew what their first activity was for the night. "Jane," she said and looked at her as they walked down towards one of the boats. "Did you?"

"Yep," Jane answered smugly. "Come on, Ben is wanting for us."

The first official date that Jane ever took Maura on started out with a simple dinner but after dinner Jane had arranged for a boat ride around the harbor. It had been a gorgeous night and the night time tour around Boston had been extremely romantic. It turned out that Jane had a friend, Ben, who was more than happy to chauffeur them around that night. The night had been magical and both seemed to realize that night that the move from 'friends' to more was definitely worth exploring. The night had convinced them both that they definitely had a future as a couple.

They made their way to the boat awaiting them and were greeted by Ben.

"Maura," he said with a smile and a hug for her. "It's so nice to see you again."

Maura smiled and hugged back. Ben was a very nice man and she and Jane would have dinner with him and his wife from time to time. "Ben, it's great to see you, too. How's Jessica?"

"Same as always. She wanted me to tell you both she expects a good dinner when you both have time," he said with a smile. "Maybe when this one here can use both her arms again."

Jane snickered but slapped him with her good hand. "Funny," she said. He helped both onto the boat. "Same general route?" he asked Jane.

Jane nodded, "If that's alright with you. Like I said, we were just looking to take a nice leisurely tour of the city again." Jane had mentioned to Ben her desire to just try to take Maura's mind off the trial. She thought a boat ride around Boston would help start that.

"That works fine," he said. "I've got you all set up and we can push off whenever you are ready." He had set up some food and beverages for Jane and Maura.

The two women made their way towards the front of the boat and got comfortable. Maura let Jane sit first and then she sat into Jane's good side wrapping both her arms around Jane and letting Jane wrap her one good arm around her.

"I've said it before and I will say it again," Jane said softly. "This whole one arm thing just sucks."

Maura smiled at Jane's half pout. "I think this works just fine," she said as she snuggled into Jane's side.

Once Ben was sure the women were settled, he launched the boat and began to slowly take them out. Without a specific destination, he knew he could just steer them out and around Boston Harbor and some of the bays for a nice ride. Jane had asked for about a hour or so and he was more than happy to comply.

As they enjoyed their trip around the harbor, Jane worked to keep Maura's mind off of the trial. She had always found that Maura loved hearing about tales of the 'Rizzoli Three' as Jane referred to herself and her brothers. Jane knew Maura missed out on having siblings when she was a kid and she liked to hear about all the shenanigans the three would get in to.

"So, for some reason Pop failed to break down the box. Instead he just left it out behind the garage. Well, in truth he should have known better. Frankie found the box and within about ten minutes we somehow had convinced Tommy it would make a great ride down the stairs," Jane was explaining to Maura.

"Oh Jane, you guys didn't," Maura said through giggles as she had a mental picture of Jane convincing Tommy to do what she was sure Jane was going to say next.

"Oh, yes we did," Jane admitted with a smirk. "So into the box Tommy goes at the top of the stairs. Frankie and I give him just enough of a push that the box, and Tommy, go bouncing down the stairs." Jane couldn't help but laugh suddenly remembering the scream from Tommy when instead of just sliding down the stairs the box tumbled and turned over down the stairs. Repeatedly. Until the poor kid reached the bottom.

"Jane," Maura tried to admonish but her laugh wasn't allowing it to be stern.

"Ma about had a heart attack. Come to think of it, it was rather loud."

"Jane, it's lucky Tommy made it out of his youth in one piece," Maura noted. Maura loved to hear about what it was like to grow up with brothers and Angela and Frank. It was so completely different from her childhood that she sometimes felt she got to experience a part of it as Jane would tell her stories. She was pretty sure that's why Jane always tried to tell her the stories. Not to make her feel bad that she didn't get to experience anything similar. But to try to give her a little something of what she may have missed.

Jane pulled Maura in tighter and kissed her gently. Smiling she didn't have much of a defense. "He survived, maybe with a few bruises, but he survived. And don't feel all sorry for him. He gave as good as he got once he got old enough to fight back."

"Did you guys ever behave as a group?" Maura asks with a smile.

"No, not really." Jane answered truthfully. "We were simply too close, too close in age and we all have that kind of personality that made behaving next to impossible. I mean we can't really even behave when we are together now and we are adults." She beamed with pride when she related that.

"Your poor mother," Maura snickered.

"I do sometimes wonder how Ma ever managed to survive our childhood with any sanity," she answered with a giggle. As the ride around the harbor continued, Jane chatted away. She had wanted Maura to have a some time outside of her own head and so far, she was succeeding.

R&I

After the boat ride, Jane took Maura for pizza. And not just any pizza. She took Maura to Santarpio's Pizza. This was to be considered a treat. Normally, if they were doing pizza it was always Regina's. Which was excellent pizza. But, since they were dining in for a change, Jane introduced Maura to her favorite pizza joint as a kid. The place was a dive but that was all part of the charm. And the pizza was fantastic.

They talked about everything but nothing that was too serious or required much thought. It wasn't the night for deep, meaningful talks. Jane loved random, idle chit chat with Maura. She loved when Maura would explain things. She loved watching Maura get excited while reciting facts or histories or spontaneously getting into the etymology of a word.

She loved it for two reasons. One, watching Maura get excited about anything was simply priceless. She was quite frankly adorable when her eyes lit up and she smiled as she talked. If she really got excited about something, she started to talk with her hands and Jane just found that fascinating to watch. And second, Maura's voice was like Jane's personal siren. Just listening to her talk about anything could sooth Jane in ways almost nothing else could.

After dinner they headed for their last destination of the evening. As Jane drove, she could tell the night was working for Maura. Her whole body was more at ease and her pace with everything had slowed down and she was no longer fidgeting. Jane knew Maura was probably as relaxed as she could possibly get her. At least while they were out in public anyway. As she thought this, she smiled realizing she would take care of the rest of Maura's relaxation when they got home that night.

As Jane pulled up to their last destination on the night Maura looked around confused. "Um Jane?" she asked. "What are we doing here?"

Jane just snickered. "Trust me," was all she said. She got out of the car as did Maura. Jane popped the trunk and moved around to grab a few items. She removed a picnic basket and handed it over to Maura. "Can you hold this for a minute?," she asked requesting Maura's help.

Maura took the basket and Jane closed the trunk and then requested the basket back. Maura shook her head, "I've got it. I'm not sure why we are here, but I've got this."

"Alright," Jane said and headed up the steps. "Follow me," she said looking behind at Maura. Without any further explanation Jane and Maura headed to their final destination.

Maura should have realized something was staged when Jane was able to get to where they were going without keys. But she was fully aware of the fact that things were staged when they made their way onto the roof of Jane's old apartment building and found a table with lit candles and two chairs set up on the roof. Jane took the basket from Maura and set it down on the table.

"Jane," Maura said looking around.

"I may have had Tommy help with this," she said casually. She reached into the basket and pulled out her iPod. Tommy had brought up a docking station and speakers. Jane turned everything on and started a playlist of some of Jane and Maura's favorite songs. She then pulled out wine and two glasses. Finding the bottle opener she turned to Maura, "I will need some help with this."

Maura smiled and took the wine and opener to open the wine. Once open, she poured glasses for each of them. By the time she was done with that, Jane had removed what appeared to be dessert with a couple of plates and some silverware. "We haven't been up here in a while," Maura commented.

Each took the wine and slowly sipped from their glasses. Jane turned towards Maura and smiled. "The last time we were up was about seven months ago," she corrected.

"That's right," Maura said now remembering that night.

"Yep," Jane said with a mysterious grin.

"What's that look for?" Maura asked.

Jane looked at Maura and got suddenly very serious. "The last time you and I were up here on this roof you ask me to move in with you. Best decision I have ever made," she said as she looked into Maura's eyes.

As Maura continued to remember the entire night she smiled. "That was an amazing night," she said.

"M, every night I spend with you is an amazing night," Jane said. She moved in towards Maura as their eyes locked on each other. The music seemed to envelope them and while it wasn't a complete embrace their bodies pressed together closely and they swayed to the music. They danced like this through two songs, just being in the moment and enjoying the presence of the other.

At the beginning of a third song Jane pulled back slightly to speak. "I love you," she said quietly but with conviction. "From the day we meet you have enhanced my life. We've gone from colleagues to friends to best friends to lovers and each moment I have spent with you has made me a better person." She leaned in and tenderly kissed Maura letting it linger.

"I know that the next few days are going to be hard for you but you are not alone. I'm right here. I'll be right here tonight. Tomorrow. Next week. Forever. I know you have doubts. But, never ever doubt my love for you. Nothing that comes out over the next few days could ever change that. You are everything to me Maura and I am here for you for anything that you need."

Maura's heart simply fluttered. Jane was so sweet and caring. She always seemed to know exactly what was needed and she always delivered. As they began to sway to the music again it was Maura's turn to speak. "I love you, too, Jane. You are the only thing in my life that I have no doubts. And just as you are here for me, please know that I'm here for you as well. We're in this together," Maura leaned in and captured Jane's lips for another deep kiss. Once that kiss broke Maura had a request. "Jane?" she asked quietly.

"Yeah," Jane whispered back.

"Take me home."

R&I

The drive from Jane's old apartment to their home took almost no time at all. Neither did it take any time for Jane to have Maura pressed up against the door once it closed. Bodies pressed together their physical connection existed beyond the lips that were now exploring and claiming what they could. The kiss was passionate and full of want.

Neither was sure who broke the kiss first but somehow they were apart, panting and staring into each other's eyes. The love the two felt for each other seemed to be easily communicated in just the look that they shared.

Jane went in for another kiss deciding that any time without Maura's touch was wasted time and both soon found themselves lost in each other again. Tongues, teeth, lips all working well to increase the desire and need they both felt.

Maura finally pushed herself away from the door wanting to move their activities to the bedroom. As Jane let the kiss stop she, too, was ready to move this upstairs and she started to turn to head up the stairs.

"Wait," Maura said suddenly. Jane turned back to her and stopped. "The kids," she said suddenly. Jo probably needed to be taken out and Bass needed to be fed. Maura knew how the rest of her and Jane's night was about to go and if they didn't handle Jo and Bass' needs now they wouldn't be addressed until morning.

Jane snickered and just reached out to take Maura's hand. "So far ahead of you," she smirked. "Ma has them for the night."

Maura smiled and squeezed Jane's hand. Suddenly she was pulling Jane towards the stairs. "Have I ever told you I love how you plan ahead for things?"

"You may have mentioned it once or twice," Jane smiled as they made their way into the bedroom.

Once in the room, Maura pulled Jane into another kiss. They were finished with talking for the night. She started to undo the buttons on Jane's shirt and Jane had no objections to letting her. Maura carefully undressed Jane including removing the arm sling. Jane's incisions were fully healed and she was set to start more intense rehab early next week. Her mobility still wasn't there but removing the sling no longer caused her any pain.

Once Jane was completely removed from her clothes, Maura gently pushed her down to the bed determined not to force any moves that could hurt Jane but to get the woman where she wanted her. Jane adjusted on the bed and went to help Maura with her clothes but Maura stopped her. Instead, she stepped back content to let Jane simply watch as she stripped down to nothing.

She could have teased Jane. Could have gone slow and let Jane just take in the sights. She could have. But she didn't. Her need for Jane was too strong to try to tease. She was naked as quickly as she could be and before Jane could really react she was straddling her and going in for another heated kiss.

She broke their kiss once again to say the final intelligent statement for the night. "You always know what I need and I'm about to show you exactly how grateful I am for your love." She coaxed Jane onto her back gently and slowly started to work her lips across Jane's neck and collarbone before continuing her journey down Jane's body.

They would take multiple turns showing their love for each other that night and both would fall into an exhausted, dreamless sleep wrapped tightly in each other's arms.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen

And somehow, it was Friday morning. A day Maura had dreaded for months was finally here. Hard as Jane tried the night before, Maura got no sleep. Neither did Jane who insisted on foregoing even the half a pain pill that night. She wasn't going to let Maura be alone. Not that night. So they both stayed awake. Mostly laying in bed Maura burrowed into Jane with Jane trying to shield her from her own mind as best she could.

Morning finally came and Maura got ready in silence. Jane was there. Around. But not forcing conversation. She made Maura breakfast. Had coffee ready for her once she was got out of the shower and was doing what she could to stay close enough to Maura to try to keep her calm. They had found over the years just being near each other was a great help.

"Ma is going to pick up your Mother and drive her over to the courthouse," Jane pointed out as Maura was almost ready to leave. Jane had asked Frankie and Tommy to stay away. She knew it was probably more than what Maura wanted just having herself, Angela and Constance in the courtroom. The boys wanted to be there to show their support for Maura. Jane asked them to just be at the house later that night instead. They had reluctantly agreed.

Maura nodded but didn't say anything. In truth, she was trying to keep from throwing up the breakfast Jane had made for her.

Jane pulled Maura into her and wrapped her arm around her. "Maura, honey, you can do this. We will go to the courthouse, you will answer the questions you know are coming and then this will all be over with. We will come home and put this day behind us." Sensing Maura was listening but not finding much comfort in her words, Jane added a little something hoping to perk her up. "Tonight, I will show you just how much I love you."

That worked. Maura smiled for the first time all morning. She leaned into Jane and sighed. "Promise?"

"Promise," Jane confirmed with a kiss.

They lingered in each other's arm for a few precious moments and then they headed out.

R&I

Korsak and Frost had wanted to go to the trial as well. But it was Maura who asked them both to stay away. She was aware of the fact that both men knew everything there was to know about how Maura was going to answer the questions thrown at her but she did not want either man in the courtroom. Jane asked her why once and for the first time ever Maura had given Jane a half truth.

She had told Jane that she didn't want either of them thrown into the media frenzy that was swirling around the trial. Photographers and reporters had been camped out in front of the courthouse since the trial started and she felt bad enough that Jane, her mother and Angela would be subjected to all the harassment. She didn't want Barry and Vince to get thrown into the middle of it as well. And that was true. Which is why Maura didn't break out in hives when she said it to Jane.

But what she didn't say was a fear that she never discussed with anyone. She didn't want Barry or Vince anywhere near her testimony, especially cross examination, because she was afraid one of them would get pulled into the case. She knew she was going to have to offer up testimony in regards to the cell phone that Doyle gave her when he wanted information about who killed Colin. Maura had given it to Jane. Jane had wanted to use it. Neither Maura nor Jane made a call. Jane had promised her that she didn't.

As far as Maura was concerned that left Barry or Vince. She was sure one of them had made the call to Doyle to tip him off about Tommy O'Rourke. She was just as sure that they both were aware of which one did it. Just as she was sure they lied to Jane when they denied it. Maura read facial expressions and body language better than most and she knew the minute they found O'Rourke's body that one of the guys had made that call.

She also knew if that ever came out it would end one of their careers. And subject him to prosecution for an accessory before the fact in a homicide. One of them had already gone out of his way to protect her. She was determined to return the favor. She was certain that on cross examination one of Doyle's lawyers was going to ask her about that phone. She didn't want Barry or Vince in that room when that happened.

The AUSA didn't seem to think the line of questioning would be pursued. Mostly, he thought, because the phone in question had mysteriously disappeared from the evidence locker at the station. The records showed that Jane had logged the phone into evidence for the crime lab to examine but after that there is no record of any analysis or traces attempted and the phone could not be located.

The AUSA felt that was a minor issue and wanted Maura's testimony about receiving the phone specifically from Doyle to help with the overall conspiracy angle for the RICO charges. Maura was worried she testimony would call Jane's integrity into question or at least speculation and that under cross if she was forced to speculate she was afraid her inability to lie would force her to identify Vince or Barry as possible users of the phone. Something she was never going to let happen. So she asked them both not to come. Both put up a fight when she asked stating they wanted to do whatever they could to help her and be there for her. She had answered them both the same. What she needed was for them to stay away. They both reluctantly agreed. They told Maura they would spend the day, if no active cases pulled them away, continuing their investigation into the Franklin case as Cavanaugh had not yet officially closed the case.

Jane had given the numbers she thought were bank accounts and the Phoenix notebook to Frost to have him try to run down the information on Wednesday night when she went to pick up Maura. She had managed to get in and out of the bullpen without getting caught by Cavanaugh and the guys promised they would start looking into what she found. Of the three of them Frost was the most gifted when it came to electronic investigations and mining for data. He had told her Wednesday night there were encrypted files on the desktop PC removed from Lansing's apartment but no one was having much luck breaking the encryption. Frost promised it was simply a matter of when he could break it, not if.

Jane had spent Thursday split between talking with the guys about the case and trying to get an appointment with anyone at the Phoenix Foundation sooner than the end of next week. On that end she had no luck. She quickly got the feeling she was being stonewalled by the answering service for the Foundation. No matter who she asked to speak with, the person was unavailable and no one seemed to have any open appointments for at least a week.

Her time on the phone and texting with the guys found Jane learning new and increasingly interesting information about the foundation throughout the day. Neither Constance nor the Isles Foundation CEO had ever met or even heard of Jacob Denton or the Phoenix Foundation. That was their first red flag that something was possibly amiss with that non-profit group. Jane's third call to Frost on Thursday found her being told that Frost couldn't even confirm that the people listed as members of the Governing Board or the Board of Trustees were real people. He was coming up with dead ends on even trying to locate any of them. Red flag number two.

Jane's last call to Frost on Thursday had given her their third red flag about the Phoenix Foundation. A review of the financials as posted on their website proved to be bogus. Frost tried to run an independent search using the listed Federal Tax EIN and it came back as invalid as did the rest of the provided information. With everything that Frost and Korsak could uncover on Thursday, by the end of the day all three detectives were fully aware of the fact that the Phoenix Foundation was a fraud.

What they still didn't know was what the Foundation's endgame was and how it all did or didn't tie into Gina Franklin's murder and what was Kevin Lansing's real role in both the foundation and Gina's death. But Frost and Korsak had promised Jane they would continue to chase down what they could on Friday while Jane was in court and Frost seemed convinced that he was close to cracking the encryption on Lansing's PC.

R&I

"The United States calls Dr. Maura Isles," Jonathan Bennett announced to the courtroom. The Judge merely nodded and made a note of the witness order on the notepad that lay open in front of him.

Maura quietly got up from her seat and made her way to the witness stand. She walked at an even, steady pace. From all outward appearances she looked cool, calm and collected. But she was an expert at hiding her true feelings from the world. In this moment, she was anything but cool, calm or collected.

As she approached the witness stand a bailiff approached her and swore her in. She then took a seat and adjusted the microphone that was attached to the front panel of witness box. Throughout this process she continued to focus in on her breathing. Strong, steady breaths in and out. She was trying to center herself for what she knew was coming.

Once she appeared situated, Bennett approached her and tried to give her a reassuring smile. In that moment, however, Maura took no comfort in a smile from a man who had an agenda. An agenda that failed to take into account any of the ramifications that Maura was about to suffer. The only sense of reassurance she had at all in that moment was looking out and seeing Jane, Angela and her mother all sitting in the courtroom.

"Could you please state your full name and occupation for the record?" Bennett requested of her eager to get her testimony started.

"Dr. Maura Isles, Chief Medical Examiner for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts," she answered.

"Could you also please inform the jury of your educational background?" he asked.

"Your Honor," the interruption came from one of the secondary defense attorneys as he stood up and started to move towards the Judge's bench, "at this time we would like to renew our objection to this witness."

Annoyed with the expected grandstanding, Bennett answered immediately, "Your Honor, the Defense has already raised this issue and it has been addressed during pretrial motions. Could you please remind all four of the lawyers sitting at the table that this issue has been addressed so we can continue?"

Judge Miller looked over to the defense table with an equally annoyed look as the AUSA. "Mr. Riley, this matter has been addressed and I do not appreciate this waste of the Court's time. This will be the one and only time I will extend you the courtesy of a warning. There are plenty of you at that table, I'm confident at least one of you can remember what my earlier rulings were. If not, might I suggest that one of you find it in your best interest to take some notes."

Admonished, the defense attorney merely nodded and sat back down. He had succeeded in at least getting the jury to hear they had some issue with Dr. Isles' testimony so his job was done.

Bennett returned his attention to Maura and repeated the question. "Again, could you please share your educational background with the Court?"

"I received my MD as well as a PhD in Forensic Pathology from Harvard University. I have PhDs in both Physiology and Biochemistry from the University of California San Francisco. I am Board Certified in Pathology and Internal Medicine."

"And your experience as a medical examiner?" Bennett asked.

"I was a medical examiner in San Francisco for four years until I accepted my current position as Chief Medical Examiner which I have held for the last four years."

All fairly simple questions to be asked and answered so far. All were questions Maura expected. She had even been warned that the defense would try to object to her testimony as a ploy to distract the jury. But the AUSA had won his pretrial motions easily handling the defense's objections to not necessary any evidence Maura was about to testify towards but to Maura herself as a witness. There was a part of Maura that wished the defense had won their attempt to block her testimony. But she knew this was something she needed to do.

"Dr. Isles, for the record, could you please state the nature of the relationship you have with the defendant?"

Maura released a slow breath before answering. She knew they were getting to the heart of the questions she really hadn't wanted to answer. "The defendant is my biological father," she gave as an answer.

"And how would you characterize your relationship with him?" Bennett asked attempting to get Maura to expand on her answer.

"There is no relationship. Paternal or otherwise. The defendant is my biological father but I was raised by my adoptive parents and I have had only limited interactions with him," Maura gave as a careful answer.

"When did you discover that the defendant was your biological father?" Bennett asked.

"Three years ago," Maura answered knowing what was coming next.

"And the circumstances surrounding that discovery?" he asked.

"I became aware of the fact that the defendant was my biological father during the investigation into the death of his son Colin Doyle," she answered.

"And could you explain how exactly that discovery came about?" he asked and stepped away from Maura to let the jury get a good look at her while she spoke.

"My lab was running blood work on the victim, Colin Doyle, when he was still a John Doe. We were attempting to run his DNA through CODIS to help with the identification process. The lab notified me that there was an irregularity with the blood work which turned out to show that the victim and I were related. Initially the lab believed the samples were tainted but upon further review the genetic markers indicated that Colin Doyle was in fact my half brother."

"And were you then able to confirm that Patrick Doyle is, in fact, your father?"

"Not at first but I was eventually able to identify the defendant as my biological father," Maura answered.

"And how were you able to determine that Patrick Doyle was your biological father?" Bennett pushed for more detail.

"The defendant came to the morgue to identify Colin's body. During that interaction he provided me with a blood sample that when tested confirmed that he is my biological father." Maura attempted to maintain her composure but she couldn't help but recall the image of Doyle cutting his hand to give Maura the blood sample she ran and compared against hers.

"How did you obtain this blood sample," Bennett asked.

That caught Maura a bit off guard as he had never asked her that directly during witness prep. "He removed a knife from his pocket, cut into his palm and handed me the handkerchief that collected the blood."

"Was the defendant aware that you would be running DNA tests on the sample he gave you?" Bennett asked.

"It was his suggestion to do so," Maura replied. Hearing the fact that Doyle had provided Maura with his own blood voluntarily to test the DNA results got several murmurs from the people in the audience.

"Had you known the defendant prior to that case?" he asked.

"No," she answered. She had been aware of the name Patrick Doyle. Anyone living in Boston had heard that name at least once or twice but she did not know him prior to that case.

"At the time of your first meeting with him, what name did he give you?" Bennett asked.

"He said his name was Selsi," Maura answered. After giving this answer, Maura felt an urge to make eye contact with Doyle but she had decided early on that was something she needed to avoid while she was on the stand.

"And that name meant what to you?" he asked.

"Selsi is Isles, my adoptive name, spelled backwards," Maura answered.

"When did you discover that he was actually Patrick Doyle?" Bennett asked taking his time getting some of the details of Maura's history out for the court.

"When my lab ran his blood. We received a CODIS match for the results showing that the sample was from Patrick Doyle," she answered again recalling the reaction she had to not only finding out about her biological father but also discovering that she had a half brother who had died before she had even had a chance to be aware of his existence.

"At that time did you confront the defendant about what you had discovered in regards to your paternity?" he asked.

"Not at that time," she answered.

"Did you ever confront the defendant about being your biological father?" he asked.

"Yes, the day after I was made aware of his identity we had a confrontation," Maura answered not willing to give extra details until asked. She hated that this particular line of questioning was being added to the public record. Up until what was about to be asked, no one except Jane and the guys had been made aware that Doyle had kidnapped Maura. Now, the world was going to find out and Maura knew the field day they would have with that piece of information.

"Under what circumstance was that confrontation?" Bennett asked knowing exactly how Maura would be answering that question.

"I was taken from the morgue against my will to a location where the defendant was waiting for me," she answered. Even sitting safe on the stand, a part of her remembered how frightened she had been when she was grabbed from the ambulance bay at the morgue.

The entire courtroom audience reacted as Maura, and Jane, had predicted. Audible murmurs and gasps could be heard and they were loud enough that Judge Miller banged on his gavel to quiet the noise. The media was going to have a field day with the fact that Doyle kidnapped his own daughter.

"You were kidnapped?" Bennett asked for clarification and to get the word out there for the jury to consider it.

Bennett was looking to tack on as many years and guilty verdicts as he could against Doyle. The more time he could throw at the man the better as far as he was concerned. That was the reasoning behind the strategy of having Maura testify to both the initial kidnapping as well as the unlawful restraint. Each charge carried significant mandatory sentences and Bennett felt the jury would believe Maura's tale for both encounters easily. Plus, a man willing to kidnap his own daughter was certainly a characterization that he knew would play in his favor.

"I was grabbed from behind and forced into a van by an unknown assailant. Once inside the van my hands were bound and were not released until I was brought to the defendant," Maura answered in a somewhat smaller voice than her previous answers.

"Where were you taken?" Bennett asked.

"I'm not sure. Once the van stopped and I got a chance to look around I could tell I was in a parking garage structure but I do not know which one," she answered.

"What occurred during your confrontation with the defendant?" he asked.

"Nothing more than a conversation," was all she gave Bennett.

"Please tell the Court what you discussed with the defendant after he had kidnapped you," Bennett pushed. He knew Maura didn't want to be giving this testimony but he had hoped she would have been more forthcoming with some of the details.

"He admitted that he knew he was my biological father. He then told me that I was in danger and he wanted to protect me," she answered quietly.

"The man who had just forcibly taken you against your will told you that he wanted to protect you," Bennett asked.

"Yes," Maura answered.

"Why?" Bennett asked.

"He claimed his enemies would try to hurt me like they did his son and he needed to stop that from happening."

"And how did he plan on making that happen?" Bennett asked.

"Objection Your Honor," Andrews stood up. "Calls for speculation."

"Sustained," replied the Judge.

Bennett, needing to rephrase his question, asked "Did the defendant want anything from you?"

"He asked for information on the investigation into the death of his son," she answered.

"Did you supply that information?" he asked as he walked closer towards the jury. He wanted them to see the contrast between Dr. Isles and Patrick Doyle. One a cold blooded killer only thinking of himself. The other a compassionate doctor who would not reveal information even under the threat of a kidnapping.

"No," she answered. She had started to relax a bit as Bennett made his way through the questions but she knew what was coming next and she felt herself get nervous again. The AUSA was leading up to asking about the cell phone.

"What was his response to that?" he asked.

"He stated that he wanted to know the identity of Colin's killer. He claimed that knowing this information would help keep me safe."

As Maura had just started to give her answer to Bennett's last question her eyes happened to catch a sudden movement in the back of the courtroom. The courtroom door opened and Maura was surprised when she saw Hope enter. Given their last interaction, she wasn't sure why Hope would bother to come to the trial in the first place. In truth, she was the last person Maura had wanted to see.

Jane, seeing Maura's attention shift to something in the back, turned her head and saw Hope walking down towards an empty seat. She, too, was less than thrilled to see Hope make an appearance. Jane had managed not to even tell Maura about her interaction with Hope and having her here truly upset Jane.

"Unbelievable," Jane whispered to Angela under her breath.

"What?" Angela whispered back. She followed Jane's eyes and saw Hope just as Hope was sitting down. "Oh," was all she managed. Angela knew Hope had a history of hurting Maura and while she sympathized the with woman, she couldn't help but dislike anyone that upset Maura.

Constance heard and watched the exchange between Jane and Angela and also turned to see Hope. Constance's stare was longer as she was trying to get a read on the woman she had never met in person but disliked intensely. What bothered her was the fact that Hope seemed to be focused in on Doyle and did not appear to be giving Maura any of her attention. If the woman was in the courtroom to support Patrick Doyle she was going to be furious.

"What is she doing here?" Constance whispered over to Jane.

Jane shrugged her shoulders. "I have no idea," she said and didn't hide her anger at Hope's sudden presence.

Jane, Angela and Constance all spent the next several moments taking turns shifting their gaze in Hope's direction. If they were confused by her presence, what happened next would absolutely befuddle them all.

As if sensing eyes looking at him, Patrick Doyle turned his head and caught sight of Hope, who had never once taken her eyes off of him since she entered the courtroom.

Seeing Patrick react to Hope all three women turned to watch the exchange. With their attention now squarely on Hope and Doyle, the three women missed the fact that Maura was also aware the Doyle was now looking at Hope too.

To say that the look exchanged between Hope and Patrick was intense would be an understatement. As their eyes locked into each other it wasn't long before most of the courtroom spectators realized that Doyle's attention seemed to no longer be on his daughter but instead focused in on something or someone in the back of the courtroom. Even the jury members started to notice Doyle's gaze away from Maura and towards the gallery of people.

As the courtroom seemed to lose focus on Maura and her testimony it was clear that few people even heard Bennett ask his next question of Maura. "What did the defendant do when you refused to give him any information on the status of the police investigation into his son's death?"

Before Maura could answer that question everything seemed to stop as she, the jury, the courtroom and even the AUSA all caught Doyle as he leaned in towards Andrews and whispered something to him. Whatever was said clearly upset Andrews. The courtroom watched as Andrews shook his head only to have Doyle whispered again. Anyone with a view of the look on Patrick Doyle's face would have seen a look of pure anger.

Just as the Judge was about to call everyone's attention back to the matter at hand, Andrews stood up and spoke. "Your Honor, may I approach the bench?"

This action surprised Bennett who looked at the Judge, "Your Honor, I'm in the middle of questioning my witness here." He was unsure what this interruption was all about.

Judge Miller looked annoyed at the interruption as well but curiosity won out and he motioned Andrews up to the bench. A brief whispered exchanged occurred between the two and although no one had any idea what they were discussing no one missed the sudden shocked look on the Judge's face. After another moment the Judge leaned back and looked at Doyle before speaking.

"Mr. Andrews and Mr. Bennett, in my chambers now. This court will stand in recess," he said and hit his gavel. The lawyers all stood. The jury was escorted out of the room. Two bailiffs came and took Doyle from the courtroom. The AUSA and Doyle's lead attorney followed the Judge into his chambers. Everyone else sat shocked and unsure of what had just happened.

Including Maura who just sat staring at Hope trying to figure out what was going on.

R&I

"Maura, please stop," Jane pleaded with Maura. She was pacing in an almost complete circle in the conference room Jane had secured for them. The court had been recessed for over an hour without any explanations whatsoever. A court clerk friend of Jane's let Jane, Maura, Angela and Constance all have access to the conference room to wait out the recess.

"I'm sorry," Maura said and stopped pacing. "I just….what is she even doing here Jane?" Maura asked.

No one had a good theory. It all seemed to have happened so fast no one was even sure if this sudden recess was connected to Hope or if Hope's entrance into the courtroom was just pure coincidence. Not one of the four really believed it was a coincidence but none of them seemed to be able to figure out just what had occurred.

"I don't know," Jane answered and pulled Maura down to sit in the chair next to her. She knew Maura was bound to start pacing again if she wasn't off her feet. She admonished herself for having her bad habit rub off on Maura as she was sure Maura wasn't a pacer until she had gotten involved with Jane.

"It's been an hour now," Angela noted. "Somebody should have come to tell you what was going on by now," she said looking at Maura.

"I don't think anyone knows what is going on," Constance added. Clearly whatever the interruption by the defense was unexpected and judging by the reaction from Mr. Andrews possibly unwanted.

"All we can do is wait," Jane said as she put her arm around Maura's shoulder. She wanted the contact hoping it would help calm Maura but she thought maybe it would keep Maura anchored to the chair for a while too.

It took another twenty minutes before Jane's clerk friend came and told them court was being called back into session. All four women filed out of the conference room and headed back into the courtroom. Maura not sure what to do simply took her seat next to Jane. She figured if her testimony was going to resume they would just call her back to the stand. As they looked around all immediately noticed that there was no sign of Hope anywhere.

About five minutes after the Rizzoli-Isles group had taken their seats, Doyle had returned to the courtroom as did the AUSA and Mr. Andrews. As hard as Jane and Maura tried, they couldn't get a read from anyone as to what was going on. Then the jury was brought back into the room followed quickly by Judge Miller.

Calling the court back into session, he spoke. And no one was ready for what he was about to say. "These proceedings will be adjourned until Monday morning at 9 am."

He banged on the gavel and he disappeared as quickly as he had previously appeared. There was no explanation coming from him. The jury again was shuffled out of the courtroom. They had been sequestered and were being sent to their hotel accommodations for the weekend. Bailiffs came and removed Doyle again.

The gallery sat shocked still not understanding anything that was going on. Finally, the AUSA motioned towards Maura to come speak with him. Jane, Angela and Constance all watched as Bennett seemed to be explaining something to Maura whose look of shock only seemed to increase the more Bennett spoke.

After a brief conversation, Bennett packed up and took off and Maura headed over towards her family.

"Maura?" Jane was the first to ask.

Maura looked around and shook her head. "Not here," she said clearly not wanting to speak with so many people still milling about. She felt nothing but sets of eyes on her.

Jane understood. "Alright, let's go." She lead the group out of the courtroom and headed towards the parking garage. "Ma, you guys come with us. I'll have Frankie come get your car later."

Jane, knowing the media would be hovering like vultures for Maura's entrance and exit from the courthouse had secretly arranged to park in a reserved, press restricted area of the courthouse. They were able to get to the car and drive away without the press realizing Maura was no longer inside.

Once they cleared the parking garage and it was clear that no press was following them Jane tried again. "Ok Maura, what's going on?"

Maura, who hadn't said a word since they walked out of the courtroom, turned to Jane. "Doyle's changing his plea. They are going to try to work out the details over the weekend but by Monday morning he is going to be entering a plea of guilty."

That stunned the car into a complete silence.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter Eighteen

As predicted, the media had a field day with the unexpected turn of events from Friday. There was still a gag order in place for both sets of lawyers and any expected witness but there was no such gag order on the members of the courtroom gallery. Several of whom seemed to seek out their fifteen minutes of fame by running to the press to give their version of what they thought had occurred inside the courtroom. Considering the gag order, those 'eyewitness' interviews was all the press really had to go on.

Maura and Jane briefly discussed in further detail what Bennett had told Maura once they got home. It was clear he didn't know much but he did say that Doyle was asking to change his plea to guilty. He wouldn't get into details with Maura as to what the plea would entail mostly, Jane believed, because he just didn't know. This had not ever been anything Bennett or the US Attorney's office had foreseen as a possibility.

Theories and speculation floated throughout the city all weekend. Every newspaper, every talk radio station, every news program all offered up their legal consultant's opinions about what was going on. Some were close in guessing that the defense was trying to cut a plea deal to take the death penalty sentence off the table while others offered guesses that ranged from Doyle turning State's evidence against the entire Irish mob syndicate to the possibility of some sort of 'insanity' ploy to a request for a delay to find some witness that would counter the last witness', meaning Maura's, testimony. And that was just the trial part of the speculation.

When it got out there a 'mystery woman' with possible involvement the frenzy even grew more out of control. Spectators were telling of a woman who had entered the court and made visual contact with Doyle immediately before he had a discussion with his lawyer that prompted the recess and conference with the judge. The press took that and ran with it. Thoughts on who the woman was. Why she was there. What did she know or have over Doyle to cause such a disruption in the proceedings. Was she a lover? A mobster? Maura's biological mother? A widow of one of his victims?

It was truly a media circus. Jane and Maura stayed home for the weekend refusing to venture out. Several media vans had parked on Maura's block hoping to catch either Maura or Jane coming or going from the house. Constance and Angela spent most of the weekend with the girls trying to do what they could continue to lend their support through the uncertainty of the recent developments.

Tommy and Frankie were at the house Friday when everyone returned and they stayed until after dinner. Barry and Vince came over on Saturday as a show of support as well. Given everything that was going on with Maura, there was no major discussion about the Franklin case between the partners. They were in a holding pattern for some bank information as it was and Frost was still trying to unencrypted the PC hard drive. The guys wanted to focus on being there for Maura and Jane and not a case.

No one really knew what had caused the developments but everyone- Angela, Constance, Tommy, Frankie, Barry and Vince- all thought a plea by Doyle was suspicious but good. Jane and Maura both knew it was suspicious but both were relieved it was a possibility. Both knew Doyle belonged in prison. Both believed the AUSA had enough evidence to earn convictions against him so prison was inevitable. And both were grateful that the plea would keep Maura from finishing her testimony.

But they both knew something else too. Although Angela and Constance had watched Doyle's reaction to Hope like everyone else, Jane and Maura knew there was more to what was going on than almost anyone else. After what happened in the courtroom, Jane told Maura about her visit to Hope earlier in the week that night once they were alone.

_They had just settled into bed for the night and Maura had burrowed herself into Jane as much as possible. She just needed to be held by Jane that night. As they both settled in Jane broke the silence._

_"I need to tell you something," she said._

_"Ok," Maura replied knowing nothing good ever seemed to follow a statement like that._

_"I wasn't going to tell you this until after the trial and things had settled down for you some but please believe me when I say that I was going to tell you this." She was rambling and she knew it._

_Maura knew it too. "J," she said. "Just talk to me."_

_Jane slightly nodded and began. "I went to see Hope a few days ago." She waited to see if just saying that would upset Maura._

_Instead of being mad, Maura tightened her arms around Jane's waist. Maura knew it was only a matter of time before Jane sought out Hope and gave her a piece of her mind. Maura was quite aware of Jane's protective nature and frankly she was surprised Jane had held out for as long as she had._

_"I knew you would eventually," she said quietly letting Jane know she wasn't mad._

_"I tried to behave. I did. But her last visit upset you so much I just couldn't…" she paused._

_"It's alright. One of the many reasons why I love you is because I know you will always try to protect me," she said. She really did understand and she really wasn't mad. "How did it go when you tried?"_

_Jane sighed. "Horrible. I thought for a few minutes we were going to be able to talk things out and maybe figure out a way to fix what seemed to be broken with the two of you but….but then she said things and I just lost it."_

_That peaked Maura's curiosity. "What did she say?" When Jane didn't answer immediately Maura knew it wasn't good. Especially since Jane was trying to wait to tell her as it was. "Whatever it was that she said J, I want to know," she filled in the sudden silence._

_"I may have started to get onto her about how she never has made you a priority which seemed to honestly piss her off. In her heated defense of herself she let something slip and," Jane paused again feeling bad to be any cause of grief or pain for Maura but understanding she had to tell her._

_"And?" Maura urged._

_"She ending up saying something that implied she's known about you for a lot longer than she has let on," Jane announced kind of quickly trying to get it out as fast as she could._

_"You mean before Cailin confronted me that night?" Maura asked._

_"It's my impression yes," Jane answered._

_"Long before?" Maura asked._

_Jane tried to tighten her grip around Maura and answered. "M, I got the distinct impression that she's known about you for a very, very long time."_

_That answer was met with complete silence. The kind of silence that just broke Jane's heart because she knew some of the thoughts that Maura's mind was processing._

_"She called me a liar," Maura said in a flat tone._

_Jane knew that was probably the first place Maura's head would go. Of all the interactions she had with Hope, that was the one that had hurt her the most._

_"I know," Jane said sympathetically. "If it helps at all, I laid into her hard when I realized she wasn't denying that she's known for awhile." Jane knew that wasn't enough but she was struggling to find anything at all to tell her that would help the situation._

_"Hard?" Maura asked quietly._

_"I let her have it," Jane confirmed._

_Maura's head had been resting on Jane's shoulder as they had been talking but Jane felt her smile. Even if only slightly. They were quiet for a few moments before Maura had to ask. "Highlight?"_

_Jane half snickered, "I called her a cold hearted bitch and said she was worse than Doyle because even though he was evil she was cruel."_

_Jane felt the smile get bigger and she knew it wasn't for what Jane had said it was for the fact that Jane had said anything. "I love you," she whispered._

_"I love you more," Jane whispered back. _

_They held each other for a while before Jane wanted to finish the why behind her decision to tell Maura about Hope in the first place. "M, there's a history between those two that we just don't understand."_

_Maura, not really feeling the need to respond, chose not to._

_"Whatever happened between them in that courtroom today," Jane said again after a few moments of silence, "has to be connected to that history."_

_"You think?" Maura asked._

_"I do. A man like Paddy Doyle doesn't suddenly just decide to change his plea to guilty. The man was set to fight this all the way. Hope walks into the courtroom and thirty seconds later he's telling his lawyer to start playing 'Let's Make a Deal'. There's more to this than any of us knows or may ever know."_

_"I don't know if I will ever learn the truth," Maura said sadly. She couldn't get through any sort of conversation with Hope without it going to hell. And now, finding out Hope was lying to her about what she knew of her, Maura was fairly certain she would never trust anything coming from Hope ever again. "I'm not even sure it matters anymore."_

_Jane kissed the top of Maura's forehead. "Maybe not. Come Monday morning Patrick will end up where he belongs. That part of this ordeal will finally be over and you will be able to stop worrying about causing any trouble for Barry or Vince."_

_That caused Maura to lift her head and stare at Jane. "How did….?" As long as she lived she wondered if she would ever figure out how Jane did that._

_"Because I know you," Jane said quietly. "I knew some of the guilt that was scrambling all those thoughts in your head was about the guys and Doyle's cell phone." She paused before continuing, "I just wish you would have brought it up with me instead of letting it bother you as much as it was."_

_"I didn't want you questioning either one of them," Maura admitted._

_"Maur, I think you forget what I do for a living sometimes. I've always known," she said. "And I'll be brutally honest with you. I've always been grateful the call was made." She was too. As much as she hated the notion that someone died the call that was made protected the life of the woman Jane knew she could never live without. There are times in life where not everything is black and white. Sometimes, for the people you love, it's easy to get lost in the grey._

R&I

And just like Friday, it seemed to be Monday morning before they all knew it. At 7 am Maura's cell phone rang. "Dr. Isles," she answered.

"Dr. Isles, it's William Bennett," he announced. "I wanted to catch you before you headed out for the courthouse."

Maura experienced a momentary sense of panic. Perhaps the US Attorney's office was unable to work out a deal and Maura was going to still have to take the stand and finish her testimony. "What can I do for you?" she asked a little on edge.

"I wanted you to know that we did reach a plea agreement with Patrick Doyle and we expect the Judge to sign off on that deal this morning," he said.

Maura released the breath she didn't even realize that she was holding. "Does this mean I am not longer needed for testimony?" she asked.

"That's why I'm calling. Doyle's lawyer will petition the Court to accept the plea deal as soon as the Judge calls the Court into session. Judge Miller is expected to agree to the terms and he will then dismiss the jury. After that there will be an official reading of the agreed upon counts and Patrick will be remanded into custody pending sentencing which has also been worked out." Bennett paused to make sure Maura didn't have any questions.

She had one. "Do I need to be there this morning?" she asked.

"Not if you don't want to be," he told her. That was mostly why he had tried to call her that morning. He understood she hadn't wanted to be involved in any of the trial in the first place and he was pretty sure she would skip the plea agreement introduction if given the chance.

"Thank you Mr. Bennett," Maura said and the relief she felt rush through her caused her to smile.

"Thank you Dr. Isles. I realize how difficult this ordeal was for you. I'm sure you will hear about the details later this afternoon but the sentencing agreement will keep Patrick in prison for the rest of his life. We traded the death penalty for life without parole." As far as Bennett was concerned it was a good deal for the government. In the end that's what he figured the jury would have given Doyle anyway.

Maura didn't really know how to respond to that information. "Is there anything you need from me?" she asked instead.

"No," he answered. "If you have any questions after you've read through what is going to happen please feel free to contact our office." And with that, AUSA William Bennett was off the phone and out of Maura's life.

Maura disconnected the call and headed upstairs to talk to Jane who had been in shower when Bennett had called. She entered the bedroom and walked into the bathroom. Jane was in the middle of blow drying her head as Maura entered the en suite. She leaned against the doorway and waited for Jane to finish. She couldn't help but smile as she watched Jane trying to dry her hair with just the one arm. It seemed to take twice as long as usual. Both of them would be happy she was going to lose the arm sling in a few days and start working on shoulder mobility.

Jane finally finished and was surprised to see Maura standing in the doorway. She let out an exaggerated whine. "I need my other hand back." The pout of adorable.

"Soon," Maura said through the smile on her face.

"You seem awfully happy," Jane observed.

"Bennett just called," Maura acknowledged.

"And?"

"And they reached a plea agreement they think the Judge will accepted," she answered.

It was Jane's turn to smile now. "Really?"

"Really," Maura answered. "And he had two other pieces of good news."

"Do tell," Jane replied.

"One, I'm not needed for any of this today so we don't need to go to the courthouse," she started. Jane's smile grow exponentially at that comment. "And two, Patrick is getting life without parole."

Despite Jane's arm sling she still managed to get her good arm around Maura, hoist her up and spin her around. Both women giggled. Both realizing they were celebrating the fact that this part of Maura's ordeal was over and not necessarily that Doyle was going to prison for life.

"Maura, it's over," Jane said when she finally put Maura down.

"For me, it is," she agreed. She knew it was all just starting for Doyle but the man was a career criminal including a murderer and prison was where he belonged.

"I need to let my mother and Angela know that we are not going to the courthouse," Maura said. Jane nodded and let Maura go make the call to her mother. Jane knew Angela would stop by before heading out so Maura could tell her the good news in person.

R&I

_**Breaking News: In a shocking turn of events, mob kingpin Patrick Doyle today plead guilty to over 37 individual counts relating to the RICO indictments and his current prosecution. Included in those counts are guilty pleas for second degree murder, kidnapping, unlawful restraint, racketeering, solicitation, conspiracy, tax evasion and heading a criminal enterprise. While no details were provided about sentencing, it is believed that the US Attorney's office is recommending a sentence of life without the possibility of parole. Doyle is expected to remain in custody until sentencing is announced. **_

R&I

The four women gathered around the television as they watched the press conference AUSA William Bennett held immediately following the Judge's acceptance of the plea agreement. Bennett thanked the members of his staff for all their hard work and for all the cooperating witnesses who had given of their time under difficult circumstances. He didn't read all thirty seven counts but he did conclude that American public was now just a little bit safer with Doyle off the streets.

He condemned the mafia and vowed to continue the government's efforts to investigate and break up the criminal enterprises that still existed in Boston. He claimed that even with the victory achieved that morning, people would be foolish to believe that Doyle's 'family' was out of business. They had served a blow to his organization but law enforcement and government agencies needed to be diligent and continue in their pursuit of justice and the fight against organized crime.

"He sounds like he's already working on his campaign speech," Jane noted as they watched.

"If that's something he is interested in he would be a fool to give up this kind of media attention," Angela added.

Maura watched for a few more minutes but then turned off the TV. They had gotten as much information as she needed for now and she didn't feel like listening to the experts share their opinions.

"I just can't believe he changed his plea," Constance said as all four women moved from the family room into the kitchen.

"I can't believe it either," Angela agreed.

Three sets of eyes fell onto the very quiet fourth woman. Maura hadn't said much since both Angela and Constance came over to watch the press conference.

"Darling?" Constance was the first to ask. "Are you ok?"

Maura nodded, "I'm fine." Realizing this wasn't enough to keep the three women looking at her from continuing to worry, she continued. "I mean, I'm glad it's over. He's getting what is deserved. From what I can tell with the plea agreement, justice is being served. And, I'm beyond grateful not to have to finish my testimony."

They all knew that was true. They all understood Maura had been dreading taking the stand for months. They all understood, Jane more than the Mothers, what Maura was afraid could and would come out as she testified. They all were relieved for her that she was spared from her worst fears. The most that she had been able to get out was the first kidnapping incident and considering the sudden plea change the media had so much to cover that wasn't getting any play at all.

"But," the challenge came from Jane who, too, was worried about how quiet Maura had been.

"But," Maura replied. "I don't understand why he did it."

She knew it had to do with Hope. She saw both the look on Hope's face and that of Doyle's. Hope had something to do with Patrick's sudden change of mind and there was a part of Maura that wanted to know what had really happened. It was the same part of her that wanted to understand what their exact history was with each other. The same part that wanted to know how long Hope knew about her. The same part that needed to understand why Hope stayed away for years and then, apparently, tried to lie to her about knowing who Maura was. She just wanted to know.

Jane and Maura had agreed not to tell Angela or Constance about Hope and the fact that she knew about Maura for longer than she tried to say. Considering they didn't even know the details of that revelation there didn't seem to be much point in letting the Mothers in on it. It would just serve to upset them both.

"Clearly Hope had something to do with it," Constance said. "You can't tell me that her showing up in court isn't connected somehow."

"The press is going to have a field day when they finally figure out she's the mystery woman," Angela said.

"Do you think they will figure it out?" Maura asked this of Jane.

"It's hard to say," Jane said. "From what I've read it doesn't seem as if anyone could identify her Friday. She didn't stick around after the recess and I don't think anyone has found her in any video feeds. But, someone, somewhere is probably going to connect her to Doyle."

Maura nodded. She remembered what it was like when the press found out she was Doyle's daughter. They camped out in front of her house for weeks after the warehouse shooting and every possible story that could be written about her and Doyle was. She felt a little sorry for Hope if it came out she was the one that started all of this. The press would show no mercy for her or Cailin if she was ever publicly identified.

"I hope, for her and Cailin's sake, they never find out," Maura said. No matter how upset she was with Hope no one deserved to have their personal life splashed over the news.

"They won't hear it from any of us," Angela said. No one in their family would comment to the press about anything relating to Doyle, including Hope's identity.

"I wonder what she has on him," Constance said trying to think what Hope could know that with just one look at him made him suddenly agree to go to prison.

No one knew and everyone respected and cared for Maura too much to try to speculate about what it could be.

"The press will die off in about a week or so," Jane noted. As annoying as the press was Jane was well aware that something bigger and better would come up within the week and the intensity of the attention on this case would fade. All that was needed was time.

R&I

The Mothers finally took off again after the four had a late lunch leaving Jane and Maura alone. As soon as they were gone Jane pulled Maura down onto the couch next to her in the family room.

"Are you sure you are ok?" she asked not hiding her concern for her girlfriend.

"I am," Maura said as she settled into Jane's side. "But I have questions and I want answers. I just don't think I'm ever going to get them."

"Maybe someday you will," Jane said. "All of this is so new. For everyone. Maybe in time the two of you will find a way to both say the things that need to be said."

Jane understood Maura had questions. And not just about what happened on Friday. She knew Maura, once she had a chance to really think about it, would want, if not need, to understand the real truth about Hope and what happened. She didn't blame Maura for wanting to know. She just wasn't too sure Maura would ever get the answers she was looking for and she didn't want Maura hurting because of it.

"I think I have a better chance of hearing the truth from Patrick than Hope," Maura said. She'd thought about trying to see him. See if he would fill in the blanks on what the truth might be.

"I can see if a visit can be arranged," Jane offered up.

That surprised Maura slightly. "You'd try to do that for me?" she asked.

"M, when are you ever going to just finally accept that there isn't anything I wouldn't do for you?" Jane answered and leaned in for a quick, tender kiss. "I don't want you to have unanswered questions lingering. Maybe he would be more forthcoming with you. He's been pretty honest with you the few times you have talked outside of identifying Hope. If it meant getting you answers, I would do everything I could to make that happen."

Maura nodded, "We'll see. Not right now, but maybe," was all she said.

"Just say the word," Jane said.

They both seemed content to just spend some quiet time together so neither really made a move to get up. It was a rare occasion for them both to be off on a Monday. Maura almost felt bad for keeping the day off since she wasn't needed in court but was glad Jane had convinced her to keep it.

It was the doorbell that finally got one of them to move and that someone was Jane.

"I got it," she said as she moved to stand up. "It's probably Frost. He might have that bank information back by now."

She made it to the door and opened it immediately surprised by who was standing there.

"Hope," she said in a flat tone.

Before Hope could even start to speak Jane felt Maura's presence behind her so she simply stepped out of the way but she wasn't leaving Maura's side.

Upon seeing Maura, Hope finally spoke. "I know I'm probably the last person you want to see right now and I won't blame you if you don't want to hear me out but I am asking for one chance. Just one chance to try to explain everything thing to you and then I will go and never bother you again if that's what you want." She paused hoping Maura would step aside and invite her in.

But Maura didn't move. Didn't flinch. Hope wasn't even sure she was breathing. Seconds ticked by and each felt like an eternity.

"Maura, please. Just one chance," Hope begged.

Finally, Maura moved away from the door and allowed Hope to enter.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter Nineteen

Wednesday- Federal Courthouse

"You have about an hour before we need to be back in court," Andrews said. He moved his chair off to the side to try to give the two as much privacy as possible. He couldn't leave the room without drawing suspicion to the encounter but he did his best to get out of their way.

"Hope," Doyle said again breaking an uncomfortable silence. "What are you doing here?"

"I had to see you," Hope answered back. "Patrick, this has to end."

"What are you talking about?" he asked her. He was completely surprised to see that she had risked a visit to him.

"Oh no," she warned sternly. "You don't get to play that with me. Not now. Not after everything we've been through. You know why I'm here."

Patrick shook his head, "I swear Hope, I don't know why you are here or what you think you are doing risking being seen with me right now." He was completely confused.

"Maura," Hope exclaimed in frustration. "Our daughter is what I'm doing here."

"Hope," he started but was cut off.

"No, you are going to listen to me. For once in your life Patrick, I need you to listen to me. How can you let your daughter get up on that stand and testify against you. Why are you going to let that happen?" She was furious with him.

"My team isn't calling her," he tried to defend. "That's the government's doing."

"Bullshit," Hope fired back. "You know all of this is your own doing. You are in here because of the things you have done in your life. That's not the government Patrick. That's you. You chose this life. You need to suffer the consequences of those choices but you need to stop bringing others along for the ride."

"I didn't chose this life it was chosen for me," he said raising his voice a little.

"No, we are not fighting about that again. You had a way out. You did. We could have gone off together. I was willing to give up everything for you. To have a life with you. With our child. But your own fears or your own insecurities were stronger than my love for you. That's what kept you from taking that out with me. You made a choice so don't play the victim here. Not with me." Hope stared hard at Patrick. She had never been able to forgive him for choosing his family and that lifestyle over her.

"My father would have killed us both if we would have tried to run off together. Don't continue to play the naive teenager who can't believe those threats were real. You know they were. And don't act like you were never aware of the dangers from my enemies who wanted to hurt us. Like you said, we've been through too much together or have you forgotten about Cape Cod?"

"I remember Cape Cod," Hope answered back in a flat tone. "Something like that never leaves a person no matter how hard they try to forget."

_Cape Cod 1978_

_She looked around the restaurant as she entered trying to see if Patrick had already arrived. But she was disappointed as her eyes scanned the tables without any success. So she walked up to the hostess and asked for a table for two. She was sure he would be there soon. The waitress came and dropped off two menus before wandering away._

_She reviewed the menu but found she was too excited to really think about food or anything other than seeing Patrick again. It had been almost six months since the last time they had been together. Six months since she had been in the arms of the man she loved._

_Theirs was to be a clandestine encounter. Hope had managed to get an entire week free from obligations and family. A week she had convinced Patrick to spend with her in Cape Cod. A week to just be. Together and in love. Away from Boston. Away from his family and the threat to their safety. A week they didn't have to hide the fact they were back together. A week they didn't have to hide._

_Their relationship was supposed to have ended. Technically, it did end but that ending lasted only three months. Three months after he left her, three months after their baby had died, Patrick was back in her life, in her arms and in her bed. She understood the dangers being with him posed but she didn't care. She loved him and the three months she had to be without him were the worst three months of her life. The grief of losing the baby and of losing him was almost too much for her._

_Since his return back into her life they had been careful. They almost never phoned each other always afraid of being overheard by the wrong person. Instead they had worked out a system of leaving notes for each other. Under a bench in Boston Common. They would each check the spot three times a week. She had Monday, Wednesday and Friday. He had Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. They were even careful enough to never meet in the same place twice for fear of someone recognizing them._

_Their last few exchanges were all focused on ironing out the details of their trip to the Cape. When they could get away and for how long. Where they would meet. Which was how Hope found herself sitting inside the restaurant waiting for him to join her. Looking down at her watch she was starting to get worried. He was already fifteen minutes late and that was very unlike him. _

_When another fifteen minutes passed, she was now officially worried. Maybe something had happened to him. An accident maybe. Or, she thought suddenly, perhaps his father found out about them. She got up and grabbed her purse telling the waitress she was just going to make a phone call and to not clear the table yet. There was a pay phone outside of the restaurant._

_She tried the number of Patrick's hotel to see if Patrick had checked into the room yet. She grew worried when the front desk said he had not checked in yet. Hanging up the phone she was going to head back inside when she found herself suddenly cornered by two large men._

_She was immediately scared. As an instinct, she tried to run and one of the men grabbed her. "Now Hope, you don't want to do that," said one of the men. That stopped her scream. They knew her name. How did they know her name?_

_"Where's loverboy?" the other man asked._

_"Who?" she tried to play it off._

_"Oh Hope," the man replied tightening his grip on her arm. "Don't do that either."_

_"I don't know where he is," she said. And she really didn't. "I swear I don't know." It was clear they were looking for Patrick. The only thing now that she didn't know was who had sent them. His father or someone else. And what scared her the most was she was unsure which was her better option at the moment._

_A car pulled up and the two man who approached Hope forced her into it and then it sped off. She spent some time trying to convince herself to try to fight. To try to get out of the car. But her body didn't seem to want to cooperate with what her brain thought was a good idea. So, instead, she sat quietly in the backseat and did nothing._

_They were soon pulling up to a warehouse that looked abandoned. But then again all warehouses seemed to look abandoned. They pulled her out of the car and started moving her towards the warehouse. Once inside, her heart sank with what was waiting for her._

_Patrick._

_Bound and gagged and tied to a chair._

_"So you guys found him," came one of Hope's captors._

_"We grabbed him about two blocks from the hotel," answered a man guarding Patrick. _

_It was at that moment that Patrick saw for the first time that the men had Hope. He screamed angrily into the gag and attempted to break free of the restraints that held him in the chair._

_"Shut up!" came the man closest to Patrick who proceeded to strike him across the face to give him incentive to actually shut up._

_"Look at loverboy here," taunted another man. "He's trying to play big bad protector."_

_By this time Hope was now gagged and forced into a chair opposite Patrick. Their eyes met and each was full of nothing but fear. Patrick's eyes also seemed to be offering an apology to Hope._

_"You're not some big tough bad ass anymore are you?" asked a man. "Away from Boston, from the protection of your family, you ain't shit." The man took another shot at Patrick hitting him across the face._

_"You should never have killed my cousins," the man added. "If you hadn't done that, I wouldn't be here doing this. But now, now you are going to watch as my guys first sample what you were willing to come all the way out to the Cape to have and then…...well once we are done with her you are going to watch us kill her. Oh, and then I'll kill you too."_

_Hope, hearing what the men were planning started to cry. Clearly Patrick's family wasn't behind this. These men had to be the enemies Patrick had always tried to warn her about but she never really believed would hurt her._

_"Oh, look you've gone and made her cry. You have a habit of doing that to this nice young lady." The man turned to Hope. "Why are you even with someone like him? He's a piece of shit. Did you know he was killer before you fucked him? I bet you did. I bet that turned you on. I bet you didn't plan on having that baby though. Nice girl like you. A child with trash like him. I don't know why he tried to hide it though. You're a step up for him. If I had your baby, I'd never hide it from you."_

_Hope, still crying, was now trying to figure out what the man was saying and how he knew so much about her. About her and Patrick. And what did he mean by 'trying to hide it'?_

_The man turned to Patrick again. "Oh don't worry 'Daddy', I know where your daughter is too. And after I'm done here, I'm heading straight back to Boston to do to that family what you did to mine." Again, he hit Patrick across the face._

_Hope, unsure of what was going on stopped crying and stared at Patrick. Had the man just said he knew where his daughter was. Could their child be alive? She stared at Patrick trying to get him to look at her so she could try to get some answers. But Patrick wouldn't look at her._

_But the man who had been doing all the talking did. And he saw the look. "Oh, this is priceless. You don't know do you?" He turned to Patrick. "She doesn't know? Oh you are just cruel." He walked around Patrick and pulled his wallet from his back pocket. He opened it and smiled when he found what he wanted. He pulled a photo out and walked over to Hope handing it to her. "That's your little girl," he said._

_Hope held the picture in her hands and the minute she looked she knew she was looking at a photo of her daughter. Her daughter. Her daughter was alive. And Patrick knew where she was. The man ripped the photo from Hope's hand. "It's just too bad this is the last time you get to see her, or anything else for that matter."_

_The man moved away but Hope saw another man moving toward her. She was sure that she was about to die. She turned her head and for a second noticed that the man who had been guarding her in the chair had his attention on Patrick and not her. Plus, she could see the outline of a gun in the small of his back._

_They had bound her hands in front of her but when they sat her down in the chair she had not been tied down. Without warning, she grabbed at the gun on the man standing next to her and once she had her hands on it, she started to shoot it at anything that moved. She didn't care who or what she hit, as long as no one touched her. She fired the gun until all the bullets, in this case eight, were fired._

_Patrick, seeing what Hope was doing, fought against his restraints and managed to stand himself slightly in the chair he was still bound to. When he was on his feet he was able to swing his weight, and the chair, around knocking down the closest man standing near him. The force and momentum forced them both to the ground but luckily for Patrick the chair broke in half and that at least allowed for some movement. Patrick then proceeded to use the chair pieces he was still attached to to beat on several of the man Hope had shot so they couldn't get up._

_Somehow rather quickly, there was a lot of bodies on the ground with only Hope and Patrick standing. They didn't stay long. Patrick grabbed the photo the one man removed from his wallet and he took hold of Hope making a run for it. They found a car outside with keys still in the ignition and Patrick had Hope drive since he was still trying to undo the bindings on his arms._

_Not knowing where she was and acting on pure instinct she just drove until she felt there was a safe distance between herself and the warehouse they had just escaped from. She hadn't even realized that she had been crying the entire time she was driving._

_She seemed to have found an open stretch of road and she pulled the car deep off into the grass. She got out of the car and was immediately sick. By this time, Patrick had worked his way out of what remained of the restraints. He got out of the car and ran over to Hope. He tried to at least hold Hope's hair out her face as she threw up but she pushed him away._

_"Don't touch me!" she screamed._

_He backed off. "Hope," he tried. "Are you ok?" he asked as he tried to approach her a second time._

_"Don't!" she yelled. When the wave a nausea finally passed she stood up and looked at him. "Is it true?" There was pure hatred in her eyes._

_He couldn't answer her._

_"Tell me, damn it! Is it true?" she knew the answer. She had seen the picture. But she needed to hear it from him._

_"Yes," he finally said._

_"You son of a bitch!" she cried and started hitting him with her still bound hands. She heat on him over and over until she broke down crying. Once she tired herself out with hitting him she slumped into him and for the first time let him put his arms around her. _

_"I'm sorry," he said over and over again. And he was. Sorry for the lie. For Maura. For what just happened. For who he was. For what he felt he had to do. He was sorry for everything. And for the first time in his life, Patrick Doyle broke down and cried. "I'm so sorry," he repeated in between sobs._

_They had each other until the tears stopped for them both and finally Doyle pulled back to talk with Hope._

_"Hope, I had to. My father, he threatened to kill both you and the baby. It wasn't an idle threat. He would have found you and her and killed you both. I couldn't let that happen. So I paid the doctor to tell you that the baby had complications. I just didn't think you would have given her up willingly. I thought…..I thought if you believed she was gone you would have a chance at the life you deserve to have. A life without me or any of my shit."_

_"She's my daughter," was all Hope could say. "How could you lie to me about my baby? Where is she?" The hate in her eyes never faded._

_"Safe. That's all I will ever tell you," he said with nothing but resolve._

_"That's my daughter!" she screamed. "You son of a bitch! My daughter!"_

_"Whose very life will immediately be in jeopardy if you ever go near her!" he screamed back. "Damn it Hope, think! We just almost died and we aren't even in Boston. We were supposed to be safe here and look at what almost happened. They know about you! They were going to use you to get to me! Don't you see what would happen if you had her? Do you think these people give a damn that she's just a baby?"_

_"I want my daughter damn it! I can keep her safe," Hope screamed._

_"How?! Wake up Hope! If it gets out that our daughter is alive, alive and with you, you both will be in danger. You will always be in danger if anyone can connect you to me. What do you think will happen if you suddenly show up with a two year old on your hip? The people who want me dead won't hesitate to use you and her to get to me. We just got lucky here Hope. Clearly it's not just my own family I need to worry about."_

_"But," she said as she was crying again._

_"But nothing. If you love her. Really love her. You will do the right thing. You will let her go. She's safe. She's loved. No one but the couple who adopted her has any idea who her father is. They don't even know who you are. This is our daughter's only chance to grow up safe and protected. Don't take that from her. _

_"Hope, I swear if I thought for a second that there was a way for you to be able to be with her and not be in danger, I would have moved Heaven and Earth to do that for you. For her. But any tie to you or to me will seal her fate before she has ever has a chance to have a life. She deserves a chance at a normal life Hope. It's not her fault I'm her father. And I refuse to make her pay the price for that. Especially when that price is going to be her life."_

_"I hate you," she said._

_"You should hate me," he admitted. "You deserve better than me. You always have."_

_"What happens now?" she asked._

_"Now, you go home. I'll clean up what just happened in that warehouse."_

_"That's it?" she asked. _

_"That's all it can ever be now," he said._

"I let you keep me from my daughter for years because you convinced me it was the only way to ensure she would have a happy life," Hope said to Patrick.

"That was the only way she was ever going to be safe," Patrick said.

"And when it came out that she was your daughter," Hope said, "I foolishly let you continue to manipulate me. I should have just told her who I was the minute it was public information."

"Hope, we've talked about this. I was in more danger after that shooting than I was thirty years ago. My enemies were stronger. My hold and power in Boston was weaker. And besides Maura, you also had Cailin to worry about. If Maura had found out who you were people would have realized your connection to me and that would have put all three of you in jeopardy. Damn it Hope, they killed my son trying to get to me. Do you really believe it would have stopped with just him?"

"The truth came out about her Patrick. And nothing has happened to her because of it," Hope claimed. Hope knew that it had been over two years since Maura's paternity was a global media story. And in those two years, Hope had never heard of Maura being in any danger because of Patrick Doyle.

"She was in real danger Hope. Two years ago we came very close to losing her. She's been kept relatively safe for two reasons. And two reasons only. First, I killed the man who was targeting her before he could kill again. He killed my son and he was going after Maura and had he known about you and Cailin he would have gone after you both too."

"And the other reason?" Hope asked. She wasn't even surprised that he admitted killing someone as easily as he just did.

"She fell in love with the best homicide detective in Boston," Patrick answered candidly. Between his ability to kill off his enemies and Jane's reputation as a cop, Maura was as safe as she could be given who she was.

"Jane?" Hope asked. She hadn't really thought about what being involved with a cop could have meant for Maura's overall safety.

Patrick nodded. "No one wants to take on Rizzoli." He had to admit she even made him nervous. He had seen first hand how protective Jane was of Maura. There was absolutely no doubt in his mind that Jane would risk her own life to save Maura. He was well aware of the fact that the detective loved the doctor enough to die for her. What more could a father want for his daughter?

"She hates me," Hope mumbled after sitting in silence for a few moments.

"What?" Patrick asked.

"Maura hates me. She knows who I am and she hates me," she couldn't stop a tear that had started to fall.

"When?" he asked. He wasn't aware of the fact that Maura found out who Hope was.

"Not long after you were shot in that warehouse and arrested," Hope answered.

"She doesn't hate you," Patrick answered. He was fairly certain Maura wasn't capable of hatred. There was a part of him that even understood that while she would never love him, she didn't even hate him. So, he was sure she didn't hate Hope.

"Oh, yes she does. And I don't blame her. I'm been terrible to her. I've," she started and stopped. "That doesn't concern you. And we are getting sidetracked. Patrick, you need to keep her from testifying." That's what Hope had wanted to see him about.

"I can't stop it," he said.

"You have to," Hope insisted. Thinking about what Jane said to her in her office she understood that Maura was going to be hurt once again by testifying and she had wanted to stop at least some of Maura's pain. It seemed like the very least she could do. "You can't make her go through this. Patrick, for some reason she thinks someone's death is her fault."

That surprised him. But he knew immediately who Hope was talking about. "O'Rourke," he said.

"Is that the man you killed because he was threatening Maura?" Hope asked.

"Yes. And he killed my son trying to get to me," he said.

"Well your daughter thinks it's her fault. I don't know why. I can't seem to have a conversation with her without turning myself into an ass but I do know all of this is hurting her. She's been through enough Patrick. You have to end all of this."

"I can't," he said.

"Won't is more like it," she pushed back. "Wake up Patrick. You're going to prison. You, and your lawyers, all know that they are going to throw the book at you."

He dropped his eyes from Hope for the first time since he walked into the conference room.

"You claim you love her. You have told me for years that you would do anything to protect her. I need you to prove that to me now. I need you to protect her from you. From all that you are. Don't make her do this." Hope was begging.

"No," he said defiantly.

"You're not hearing me. You will put an end to all of this. Stop the trial Patrick. Have the lawyers work out a deal or something but end all of this right now. You are headed to prison no matter what and you know it. Do what's right here for her. End this."

"I won't do that," he said again.

"Fine, then I'll do it myself," she threatened.

"What can you possibly do?" he asked.

"I can offer up better information about you than any other person they have Patrick. And, to stop Maura from having to go through something that is clearly going to her hurt, don't think I won't talk." She stared at him without blinking. To prove she wasn't kidding her threw out a challenge. "Cape Cod, Cambridge, Brookline, Charlestown," she started rattling off places. Places she knew he understood what exactly it was she could testify towards. It had an immediate affect on him. He turned a few shades paler. "Everything I have ever seen, heard or done with or for you, I will tell it all."

"You wouldn't," he said eyes fixed squarely on her now trying to judge this new threat level. "You'd be in just as much trouble as me," he said.

"Maybe. Probably. But here's what I bet. I bet you that I can find a nice expensive lawyer, probably even better than Mr. Andrews here, and I bet you that nice expensive lawyer can get me an immunity deal from the the US Attorney's office. For the things I know about, I bet you I can find a lawyer who will make sure I walk away free at the end of all of this and you will find yourself on death row."

"You wouldn't," he said again. Never in his life had he even considered that Hope would turn against him. Theirs was a complicated relationship but he knew she loved him as he loved her. She would never betray him like that.

"Don't test me Patrick," she fired back. "I've let you have your way for thirty seven years. It's cost me my daughter. There's finally something I can do to help her and I don't care what I price I have to pay. I owe her this. We owe her this. You were right. She shouldn't have to pay a price simply because of who her parents are. End it Patrick. Or I will."

With that, she stood up and left the conference room and wasn't seen again until she walked into court to stop Maura's testimony.

R&I

Jane and Maura sat quietly listening to Hope recount her tale. What occurred Wednesday when she snuck into see Patrick. What had happened in Cape Cod and how she had discovered Maura was still alive. Both were too shocked to do much more than listen to Hope.

"Had Patrick not said something to his lawyer, I was going to disrupt your testimony," she said. She wasn't trying to take credit for stopping anything, she was simply trying to explain, really explain, things to Maura for the first time.

For the first time since Hope had started speaking, Maura asked a question. "Cape Cod? When was that?" she asked.

"The summer of 1978," Hope answered. "You would have been, I mean you were, almost two."

Maura asked another question that even surprised Jane. "Not everyone from that warehouse died, did they?"

"How did you know that?" Hope asked shocked. "Patrick told me that by the time he returned to try to clean up what had happened the man that had done most of the talking was gone. I never learned his name or what happened to him."

"He was killed two months later," Maura said remembering Constance's story about Patrick's suddenly reappearance when Maura was almost two. She was sure the man Patrick showed her mother was the man from the warehouse. She noticed Jane's confused look and just nodded at her a nod Jane understood meant they would talk later.

"Maura, I don't really know the right words to explain why, how…." she paused unable to really complete her sentence. "Patrick was right about something. If I had known you survived at birth, I would never have given you up. I wouldn't have cared about the dangers and I would easily have died trying to protect you.

"When I found out you were alive, my first instinct was to find you and get you back. But Patrick was right about something else. You were safer away from him. From me. That photo I looked at of you. I guessed that you were not much older than one. You looked so happy. As much as I wanted you, I forced myself to accept that it was better for you to stay safe and stay with the family who took you in. Some of those men in that warehouse, Maura some of those men died because I shot them. Your father isn't the only one who has killed someone.

"And while it was self defense, I couldn't get passed the fact that his life took over my very safety that quickly. It scared me that it could happen again. One minute I'm on the phone at a restaurant and the next minute I'm in a warehouse about to be raped and killed while Patrick watched. It happened so easily. So quickly. I knew there was a chance it would happen again. I just couldn't subject you to that."

"I understand all of that," Maura said. And she did. "Where I get lost again is your reaction after everything came out about Patrick and I after the shooting at the warehouse. You knew who I was and you…"

"I lied to you," Hope finished Maura's thought. "I said terrible things to you. And for all of that I'm so incredibly sorry. The best I can tell you is that I panicked. I was already so worried about Cailin and her overall health that I did focus on her instead of you. You didn't deserve that.

"Maura when it first hit the papers and it was out that Patrick was your father I wanted so badly to get in touch with you. I knew I had lost my right to be a mother to you long before all that but I hoped that maybe we could at least get to know each other. Maybe be friends. And I was all set to reach out to you. Until Patrick stopped me."

"Patrick?" Maura asked.

Hope nodded and sighed. "We've been in and out of each other's lives for forty years. That's how I know as much about him and his 'business' as I do. Neither of us could ever really stay away from the other for too long. I'd go a year or two without seeing him but then suddenly he would be there. And each and every time, I would let him in.

"I love him and hate him all at the same time. There's a side of him that is tender and gentle. That's the Patrick I love. I will always love. But I know who he is and what he is capable of and that's the side of him I will always hate. I hate what he cost me in my life. But, I'm as guilty of all of that as he is. I hate myself as much as I hate him. I was a willing participant in his life. That life.

"After he was arrested, I went to see him. I needed to see for myself that he was going to be ok medically. During that meeting I foolishly mentioned that since it was out that you were his daughter I was going to reach out to you. One of the things that I'm the most ashamed of is that it didn't take him much to convince me that contacting you would be a mistake.

"He played the Cailin angle hard. Insisted that if I told you who I was given the press attention that was just flooding you, someone would figure out who I was to him and they would go after Cailin to get to me. He said people were leaving you alone because of your relationship with Jane. Cailin and I didn't have that. She was already fighting for her life I just couldn't add another threat to that.

"So, I did nothing. Like I had done my entire life. Nothing. I buried my head back in the sand and tried to go back to pretending you didn't exist. I'm sorry for that. But that's what I had to do through most of my life. Force myself to pretend you didn't exist because the alternative was just too painful for me. Somewhere along the way it just became easier to pretend than to admit how horrible I was for just walking away from you even if it was what was best for you. For most of my life I've wanted to blame others for what, in truth, were my own choices. Choices I'm deeply ashamed of.

"I let Patrick play on my fears. Just like he had for my entire life. I let him convince me that Cailin was in danger. That you were protected but she wasn't. If Cailin hadn't already been sick, maybe…." she paused but didn't finish that thought.

"Why did you ever agree to meet with Maura in the first place?" Jane asked. She wasn't sure it was her place to even be asking any questions but she found in that moment she simply could not stop herself.

Hope looked at Maura to deliver her answer. "I wanted to see you. To see how you had turned out. To see if you were happy. Patrick gave me updates about you through the years. He would never tell me where you were or what name you went by but from time to time he would give me a general update on you.

"When you graduated from college. That you graduated from medical school. Even that you spent time in Doctors without Borders. Just enough details to tell me something but never really enough to find you. Although, I'm sure I could have if I had really tried. I never knew where you were until the warehouse shooting. That's when I truly found you. So when you called and I had a chance to at least see you, hear your voice. I said yes."

"But even in that first meeting, you were so…" Maura couldn't find the right words to describe how Hope made her feel during that first interaction.

"Cruel," Hope filled in the blank for Maura. "That's probably even being generous for how I behaved. I have no words for how sorry I am about that. Again, I panicked. As I was walking into the station to meet you all I kept hearing in my head were the warnings about your safety, my safety, Cailin's safety I had heard from Patrick over and over again. I began to think coming to see you and helping you was a big mistake.

"I began to worry that the only reason you had called me was because you might have figured out who I was. Instead of embracing that, I thought I needed to force you to not pursue your inquiries if that's what you had really wanted. So I said all of those horrible things about you being a mistake. I thought maybe, just maybe if I was awful you would just let it go. Decide you were better off without me in your life.

"Meeting you. Getting to know you. Maura I have never been so conflicted about anything in my entire life. It's like I knew I shouldn't be seeing you. Talking to you. Spending time with you. But I couldn't stop myself. And the more time I spent with you the more worried I found myself getting about Cailin's safety.

"So when Cailin let it all out, again, it's no defense but I panicked. I tried to put genie back in the bottle that night and all I really managed to do was fail both you and Cailin. It was simply my fear of having to explain my role in all of this to both you and Cailin. How was I supposed to tell her, and you, that I was actively involved in the life of a mobster for forty years without it costing me my relationship with Cailin. I had already lost you. I just couldn't lose her too. You both have every right to hate me right now. Some of the things I have done in my life are deplorable.

"Jane, I lied to you too." Hope said turning to Jane. "When you asked me if it was deliberate. I lied when I tried to say it wasn't. It was. I thought maybe if I hurt Maura enough she would walk away. That maybe I could just hide from mess I had made of everything by chasing her off. I never thought she'd accept me so I was desperately trying to cling to Cailin thinking she was all I had left in the world.

"I am so ashamed of how I treated you," she said turning back to Maura. "After everything you did for Cailin, I repay you by being an ass. I let myself get fixated on saving Cailin and you became the vehicle for that. Again, there's truly no excuse. I didn't even come to see you after your surgery because I was so ashamed of everything from never taking the risk of finding you as a child to treating you so horribly as an adult. All you have ever done is try to get to know me and save the life of your sister and all I've ever done is shun you and hurt you at every turn."

The tears were falling freely from Hope as she spoke. Silence filled the room. For both Jane and Maura, it was simply a lot to process. Sensing that, Hope stood up. She turned to Maura. "Thank you for giving me the chance to at least tell you this much. You didn't have to even do that. There will never be an apology I can offer to you that will ever come close to fixing all the wrong I have done to you. I do know that.

"I hope you will get to know Cailin. She's really a remarkable young lady and I think you both would benefit from having a relationship with each other. It's not her fault I'm so messed up. Please don't judge her based on my sins.

"I won't bother you again. But I will always answer if you should ever want to call or speak with me. I know you have nothing to base any level of trust on me so I will just leave it at that and please know I will understand any level of involvement, including none, that you chose to pursue."

She didn't wait for either to walk her out. She just left leaving Jane and Maura sitting on the couch to reflect on it all.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter Twenty

Exactly how long it took before Maura started to cry after Hope left, neither of them were sure. But it took no time at all for Jane to have Maura wrapped tightly into her body. She held on determined not to let go of Maura. Ever if that would make Maura's hurt go away.

"Sssshhhhh," Jane consoled Maura as best she could. "I've got you," she whispered into Maura's ear several times as she gently rocked Maura while letting her one working hand rub Maura's back. "I'll always have you," she added. "I'm right here. I'll always be right here."

Maura cried. Hard. A cry of disappointment. A cry of hurt. A cry of frustration. A cry for a life she was never allowed to have. A cry stemming from years of self doubt and feeling unwanted. A hard cry for it all. The dam had broken and Maura just let go of it all knowing she was in the shelter of the arms of the one person who loved her unconditionally. The one person she trusted to protect her. The only place she felt safe. In the embrace where her heart called home.

They lost track of time. Even after the last tear fell from Maura's eyes and her body shaking sobs faded to whimpers and then to nothing, Jane never tried to move. Never tried to release her hold on Maura. She wasn't going to move. She was doing the only thing she could for her and she refused to be the one to end any of it. They could stay in exactly that same position forever as far as Jane was concerned.

Finally, it was Maura who eased the death grip she had managed on Jane's shirt. Once that loosened, she soon pulled back just enough to let her eyes focus in on the deep brown, compassionate eyes staring back at her.

"Thank you," she said quietly.

"M," Jane said just as quietly, "you know you never need to say that to me."

"In my whole life, you've been the only one I've ever been able to absolutely count on. You've always been there for me. Always. For the times I knew I needed you and, more importantly, for the times when I needed you and I didn't even realize it."

"Being here for you is easy. It's like breathing," Jane replied. "It's just something that I will always do."

"I'll never understand what I did to get so lucky," Maura said resting her head back onto Jane's good shoulder.

"You see, for a genius, you still have this all wrong," Jane said as she gently kissed Maura's forehead. "I've always been the lucky one."

Maura allowed herself a smile. "How about we call it a tie?" she offered.

Jane pulled Maura in closer, "I think I could live with that."

A comfortable silence fell over them both as simply being together was all either one of them needed.

R&I

The next interruption that came on their Monday was a phone call for Jane. It was Frost. Maura had finally gotten up from the couch to start dinner and Jane had been aimlessly flipping through the TV channels not really wanting to watch anything but more looking for something to do.

"Rizzoli," she said into her phone.

"Hey Jane," Frost said as his partner answered her phone. "How's Maura doing?" he asked. He had watched the press conference making the plea agreement official. He knew Maura would be relieved but he was just wanting to double check.

"She's," Jane said pausing a half beat, "adjusting to it all," is how Jane chose to finish that thought. She wasn't going to discuss Hope's visit to their home with Frost.

Frost, realizing that there may be some issues and that Jane didn't seem to want to really discuss it, decided maybe he was calling at a bad time. "I can let you go if you are needed there," he offered up.

Jane smiled knowing Frost caught that something was going on. "That's ok, I can talk for a minute. What do you know?" she asked assuming he was calling about something to do with the Franklin case.

"I'm still waiting to hear back about those bank accounts but I did finally manage crack the encryption on Lansing's PC. Korsak and I were trying to go through the files but we just got called to a scene," he said.

Jane understood immediately. Cavanaugh was closing the Franklin case and wasn't even aware that either was still looking into anything. With an actual new case, there wasn't any way Frost could finish the review of the files on the hard drive. "Can you copy the files and drop them off?" she asked.

Frost smiled. Jane was so coming back. "I know you wanted to spend time with Maura," he started.

"Copy the files," Jane offered. She could use a distraction and she was pretty sure she could talk Maura into helping her with the review. She definitely knew Maura could use the distraction. "Can you drop the drive off before you get to the scene?"

He snickered, "I'll be at your place in ten minutes."

Jane smiled. Frost was already on his way with the files. "See you soon," she said and hung up.

Walking into the kitchen she found Maura working on the beginnings of what appeared to be a nice dinner. "Frost is stopping by," she announced. Taking in Maura for a minute Jane was sure they were done talking about Hope or Patrick for the night.

"Think he'll want to stay for dinner?" she asked fully immersed in her dinner prep work.

"He's on the way to a scene," she answered.

"Oh," she said. "Then why is he stopping here first?"

"He finally managed to crack the encryption on Lansing's hard drive but with the new case he won't have the time to go through the files."

Jane noticed Maura's subtle smile. Maura was sure the more Jane worked on this case the closer she was coming to figuring out if she wanted to return to work or not. "Do you think there's anything in the files that will help?"

Jane shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. I hope so. We are not getting anywhere with tracing Phoenix Foundation board members and I forgot to tell you that Korsak dropped by their listed address Friday night and the place is empty."

"Empty?" Maura asked surprised. "So it's all a complete fraud?"

"That's what it looks like. Korsak checked with the building landlord and was told the office space was rented on a month to month basis by some dummy corporation that Frost is trying to chase down. And all the calls for the Foundation were routed to a temp agency that specializes in corporate telecommunication needs. That's why I haven't been able to get in to see anyone. The agency was told to automatically claim people were unavailable and offer up appointments for at least a week out.

"We now think that the Phoenix Foundation, the website, the newsletter I found sent to Gina are all part of some elaborate con being run by either Jacob Denton or Kevin Lansing. Possibly both. We can't find Denton and clearly Lansing can no longer answer any questions. Plus of all the names listed on the website Frost can't match to any actual people. Outside of Lansing and Denton, it doesn't even appear that there is anyone else even remotely connected to the foundation."

"Any luck with those account numbers you found?" Maura asked. She also didn't miss the fact that Jane had said 'we' several times as she was recapping the situation with her.

Jane shook her head. "Still waiting to hear back from several banks but it appears that all of the accounts are at least within the United States which should eventually help in tracing their origins but that's going to take time and I have a feeling Cavanaugh will close this investigation either today or tomorrow at the latest."

"What will that mean for the case then?" Maura asked.

"An end," Jane answered dejectedly. "Once this case is officially closed and if we can't come up with anything concrete to link Gina's murder to the Phoenix Foundation, whatever that really turns out to be, this will stay as a resolved homicide with the prime suspect also deceased."

"And you still believe that someone else was involved?" Maura asked.

"I do," Jane answered. "whatever con game this Phoenix Foundation rouse was meant to be playing at I think Gina Franklin was caught up in it. I think she tried to change her mind about giving Jacob Denton access to her trust money and I think that's what got her killed. I just wish I had some idea of what role Lansing actually played in all of this and the same goes with Denton. If we can answer that then I think we could actually knew what really happened to Gina."

"Maybe you'll be able to find something in Lansing's files. He had to have encrypted them for a reason," she offered.

"Let's hope so," Jane answered.

R&I

Fifteen minutes later Jane showed a hurried Frost out. He really needed to get to their new crime scene so he didn't stay too long to chat. He had handed Jane two copies of the files from Lansing's hard drive. Jane smiled knowing he made two copies in case Maura wanted to look through them along with Jane. Her partner did seem to know her, and Maura, well.

Maura was still working on getting dinner ready so Jane retrieved her laptop from the upstairs office and brought it down into the family room. Given all that had happened with Hope and Doyle that day, Jane didn't want to be too far away from Maura. Even just being upstairs felt too far away from her. She always felt she was still helping Maura somewhat even if she was just in a close vicinity to her. She was determined not to leave Maura alone at any point that night.

Jane settled into the couch and powered on her laptop. She inserted one of the flash drives and looked at the file folders. She released a heavy sigh. There were twenty seven folders on the flash drive all only labeled with a sequential number. And that was just folders. Each folder had files and documents and Jane realized that she was going to have to get through them all.

Without a good idea of what exactly it was that she was actually looking for she simply started with the first folder. Double clicking on the file she sighed again when she saw that within the folder there were eighteen different documents to look at. Deciding to get comfortable knowing this was going to take a while, Jane put her feet up onto the coffee table, leaned back into the couch and placed the laptop on her lap. One by one she started to look through the documents in the first folder.

Jane was midway through folder number three when she felt the couch cushions sink with the added weight of Maura. Dinner must have been as prepared as she could at that stage. She was happy that Maura had returned to the family room and was even happier that Maura sat down next to her. She waited for Maura to speak assuming she would start to ask some questions about how it had been going so far but she remained quiet.

So, Jane did too. She just kept going through the documents trying to find a hint or a clue or anything that seemed to mention the Phoenix Foundation, Gina, Eric or even Jacob Denton. About two minutes after Maura had sat down next to Jane she felt Maura's hand come to rest on her shoulder and felt Maura's body lean into hers. Within a few seconds Jane felt Maura's stare shift from looking at her to looking at Jane's laptop.

As cute as the woman beside her was, Jane actually hated having anyone read over her shoulder. Which was exactly what Maura was doing. Jane let their position stay that way for just a few more minutes before she knew she needed to do something about it. Without shifting on the couch, and without even saying a word to Maura, Jane reached over to retrieve the second flash drive Frost had dropped off.

Without taking her eyes off the document she was trying to read through, Jane simply held up the flash drive in front of Maura as an invitation for her to get actively involved. And hopefully out of her current position of reading over Jane's shoulder. She held up the flash drive for only a few moments before Maura took it from Jane.

Before getting up to retrieve her own laptop, Maura leaned in and gently kissed Jane's cheek. She then hopped up and disappeared. A few minutes later she had returned with laptop in hand as she reclaimed her spot on the couch next to Jane. Only this time she mirrored Jane's position. Back against the couch, feet up on the coffee table and laptop squarely on her lap.

Jane waited until Maura's laptop was on and she had inserted the second flash drive into her USB port before speaking for the first time since Maura had joined her from the kitchen. "Start from the bottom and work your way towards the middle." She smiled when she saw Maura simply nod and scroll down to the last folder to begin her review.

The only thing Maur had to say since joining Jane on the couch was, "Dinner will be ready in an hour."

A silence fell over them both as each turned their attention of the documents displayed on their computer screens.

R&I

Forty minutes and more documents than Jane cared to admit she had looked at later, she finally found something worth getting excited over. It was a document that was a list of numbers similar to the numbers she found in Lansing's apartment behind the picture frame. Only this list was easier to understand. Next to each account number was not only values but specific dates and a set of initials.

Suddenly energized by the discovery of at least something that looked like it could be connected to the case, Jane opened the next file in that folder. "Maura, I think I finally found something," Jane said not able to contain her excitement.

Maura, who was feeling just as frustrated as Jane from her end of the folder reviews, looked up. "What?" she asked.

"Open folder number twelve," Jane said and waited for Maura to get the folder opened. "The third document from the top," Jane added once Maura had opened the folder.

Maura looked at the account numbers. "It appears to be more account numbers," Maura said.

"I think these are the same account numbers I found in Lansing's apartment," Jane noted.

"There's also amounts and dates on this list. Did the list you found have this information too?" she asked.

"No," Jane answered. "Just the account numbers. But that notebook I found had several names and dates. If I can get that back from Frost maybe I can match up those to these. Now, open the document right underneath this one." Jane again waited for Maura to open and look at the next document.

"Jane, this is a ledger," Maura said.

Jane just nodded. "Look at it closely."

Maura took a minute to review the ledger and finally saw what Jane must have been trying to point out. "It looks like it's a ledger of deposits. I see dates, deposit amounts, the accounts the money was deposited into and even a column denoting where the money came from. Although that still seems to be just initials," she answered turning to look at Jane.

"If we can figure out what those initials mean maybe we can at least track where the money is coming from," Jane said. She needed to get that notebook she found from Frost. She had a feeling that it might contain more information that she first expected.

Jane returned to looking through more of the documents in folder twelve. She was just about to open the next document on the list when she heard Maura.

"Jane?"

Looking up Jane answered, "Yeah?"

"Jane, did you see this?" Maura asked as she was staring intently at her screen.

"See what?" she asked.

Maura didn't immediately answer. Instead she continued to stare at her laptop screen and she seemed to be moving her mouse around every few moments.

"Maura, what?" Jane asked again.

"Pick another document in this folder and just hover the mouse over the file," Maura said. Jane complied. "What does it say?" Maura asked.

When Jane let the mouse hover over the file, a text window appeared with file information. "It says 'Microsoft Word Document, Author Kevin Lansing, 14.8 KB, Date modified 5/23/13'," Jane answered.

Maura nodded. "Now, pick another document and do the same thing."

Jane again complied. "It's the same except this one is Microsoft Excel, it's a little bigger in size and it was modified on 6/1/13," Jane answered not sure why Maura was pointing this out.

"Ok, now, do the same thing with the ledger sheet you found," Maura said.

Jane again complied not sure why modification dates were so fascinating. "Alright, this one reads 'Micros…" and she stopped. Because she saw what Maura had found. "Oh," was all she could say for a moment.

"You see it?" Maura asked.

"I see it. 'Author Amanda Price'," she said. Not Kevin Lansing. She turned to look at Maura. They had maybe just found a new player in the game. "Very nice catch Dr. Isles," she said with a smile.

"Thank you Detective RIzzoli," she answered with a smile of her own.

The two continued their review of the files and folders for the remainder of the evening stopping only for dinner, the clean up and Jane's nightly walk of Jo. In the end, they found four more Excel files that appeared to be ledgers recording various deposits of large sums of money into several different account numbers. The sum of all of the deposits the ledger detailed was just over $5 million dollars and covered a period of six years.

Each ledger spreadsheet had the listed author as Amanda Price. No other documents in any of the folders had her as the author. All the other files had been originally created by Kevin Lansing. As they finished for the night Jane now had a new person to attempt to find. Somewhere out there was Amanda Price who very well could be the bookkeeper of the ledger pages and who might also have an idea was to what the initials meant.

Jane needed to find her and planned on trying to do so the next day.

R&I

Maura had just turned out the light and crawled into bed when Jane reached across and grabbed Maura's hand lacing her fingers through Maura's. "Thank you for your help tonight," she said softly.

"You don't have to thank me for helping you J," she answered back. "It was my pleasure. I'm just glad we found something." Jane nodded and shifted to stare up at the ceiling. "What?" Maura asked after a few minutes of silence.

"Frost thinks because I'm looking into this case it means I'm coming back," she said after a minute.

They hadn't really talked about this in a few days. Both their attentions had been focused on the trial. Maura, who still had Jane's hand in hers, gave it a squeeze. "And what do you think?" she asked carefully.

"I think I'm doing what I can to keep a promise," she said.

"But you are still not sure about an actual return," Maura said more as a statement than an actual question.

Instead of answering that question directly, Jane shifted subjects. "I talked to Ma the other day," she said. With all that had been going with her and with Maura, she had never really told Maura about her conversation with Angela.

"How did that go?" Maura asked a little surprised Jane hadn't mentioned a conversation with Angela sooner.

"It was hard. I can still her screaming sometimes," Jane said. "I tried to apologize but I'm not sure I did a good enough job."

"Did you say you were sorry she had to see what happened?" Maura asked.

"Yes," Jane replied.

"And did you mean it when you said it?" she pushed.

Jane shifted to look at Maura instead of the ceiling before answering. "Of course I meant it."

"Then you did a perfect job," Maura said sweetly. "She doesn't need a grand gesture from you J. She just needs to know you understand her fears and that you are there for her if she wants to talk about them."

After a few more minutes of silence Jane spoke again. "She said I wasn't living the life she would have chosen for me but she thinks I'm living the life I was meant to live."

Maura smiled at that sentiment. It sounded just like Angela. Only she could admonish and admire Jane's career in the same sentence and have it mean so much. "I have to admit I agree with her. At least with the meant to live part anyway. I think you were meant to be a detective."

"And the choosing part?" Jane asked curiously.

"That was never something I've thought about," Maura stated. "I've never had that right."

"You have every right," Jane said. "My life is your life too."

Maura was quiet for a minute as she thought about that. They really did share their lives with each other. There was something so amazingly reassuring in knowing just how true that idea was. "Then I would have chosen for you back then what I would chose for you now."

"And what's that?" Jane asked.

Maura snuggled closer into Jane. The events of the day seemed to have caught up with her all of the sudden. "Whatever it is that makes you happy," Maura answered quietly. As simple as that sounded it was true. Maura wanted for Jane whatever was best for Jane. Whatever made her happy. Not her idea of happy but Jane's idea of happy.

Jane looked down and watched as Maura's eyes grew heavy. She knew sleep would find her soon. She gently kissed Maura's forehead before whispering. "You make me happy."

Maura, eyes drifting closed, still let a smile cross her lips. Without opening her eyes and without being able to hide the sleep that was in her voice she said one last thing before drifting off to sleep. "I wasn't talking about us. I was talking about you. It's not for me to chose what would make you happy. It's simply for me to support whatever that turns out to be because I love you and I will always support you."

Jane thought about what Maura had just said and it made her smile. She gave the now sleeping doctor one last gentle kiss whispering back "I love you too," before closing her own eyes and letting sleep find her as well.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter Twenty One

"Jo, if you want me to throw the ball again you are going to have to bring it back to me. As much love as I have for you, I am not the one who will fetch it," Jane said trying to rationally discuss the fundamentals of fetch with the dog.

"I don't get it Bass," Jane said turning to complain to the tortoise who seemed to have taken up permanent residence next to Jane on the deck. "Sometimes your sister understands the whole fetch concept and sometimes she just acts as if she's never played the game before."

Bass turned his head and seemed to think about what it was Jane was saying. And, apparently, he didn't have too much insight to offer her as he simply returned to consuming some of the spinach leaves she had brought out for him.

Jane knew she was spoiling him with all the extra food he was getting to eat but she was still feeling guilty that he was stuck up on the deck during morning playtime and she had found she felt less guilty when he got to at least eat when he was hanging out with her. Over the weekend Maura had been able to carry Bass down the steps so he could play in the yard. Jane didn't even tell on him when he started digging near the fence line. In fact, she had been able to keep Maura from noticing Bass' digging efforts. Again, she felt guilty he was kept from the yard during the week.

"Tomorrow I should at least get paroled from this sling," she continued her chat with the tortoise. Jo picked that moment to finally decide she knew how to play fetch as she came bounding back to Jane with the ball in tow. Dropping it by Jane's feet she backed up impatiently waiting for Jane to throw it across the yard. Jane pumped faked once just to get the dog all wound up but then finally released the ball and had to laugh as Jo went barrelling after it.

"Like I was saying, tomorrow I should get out of the sling. I may not be quite up to picking you up for a few more days but I'm getting closer. I'll have to remember to ask the physical therapist how long it will be before I can lift you up and down the stairs."

Jane turned to see what Jo had found to occupy herself and snickered as she found the dog laid out in the grass just chewing on a rawhide bone she had come across. Turning back towards Bass this time it was her phone she concentrated on. She looked at the screen and still nothing. The waiting was driving her crazy.

Jane had called Frost first thing that morning to let him know about finding the name of Amanda Price. He promised to run Price through the system to see if he could confirm her identify and maybe find an address for her. With nothing else to go on, Jane was stuck waiting for Frost to call or text her any results from the search.

This was where being on a leave was starting to drive her crazy. She desperately had wanted to run the information herself but she couldn't. They were still hiding her involvement in all of this from Cavanaugh. And since all the database access Jane had was only accessible from the station, she was at the mercy of Frost getting back what, if any, information he could find.

She had called him at 7 that morning. It was now 9 and the waiting was starting to get to her. She was not a very patient person.

"Bass, your Uncle Frost needs to call me back," she sighed in frustration.

Just then, her phone buzzed an alert of an incoming text message.

_1835 Sheafe St #317_

The text was from Frost and Jane recognized the address. Her phone rang in her hand as she stared at the address. "She lives in the same building as him?" Jane asked into the phone without even bothering to say hello to Frost.

"From what I can tell, yes," came Frost's answer. "Sorry for the delay but I wanted to try to verify the address before sending you out on a wild goose chase. It looks like Price moved into that building around the same time as Lansing."

"That's certainly not a coincidence," Jane noted. "I'll see if I can try to find her. How's it going with the new case?" she asked.

"Alright," he offered. It was and things were just fine between him and Korsak. But he missed Jane and wanted to be working the case with her. "I'm on my way down to get the autopsy results from Maura."

Jane smiled. "Do me a favor?" she asked.

"I'll let her explain everything in the file to me," he offered up to Jane before she had to ask.

Jane snickered. "Thanks." Jane was worried that Maura was getting lonely at work without her being there. Maura interacted with the guys but Jane knew she talked more when Jane was around. Frost letting Maura explain all the reports in detail was just a way of ensuring Maura had some quality time with people who cared about her.

"And Korsak already had her walk through two different toxicology reports for him this morning," he offered up. They both knew Jane was worried that Maura was getting lonely down in the lab by herself all day.

"Do you two have a schedule for this or are you just playing it by ear?" Jane asked playfully. She was grateful for both men in her life for all they did to help Maura. And her.

"No set schedule yet but we have found tag teaming her has been pretty effective so far," he answered.

"I owe you," Jane said and meant it.

"I'll collect," he fired back. "Jane, if you need us, just call us." They both knew Jane had promised Maura if she got into something more than she should be dealing with she would call them in. Maura had made them both promise they would drop everything if Jane did request the help. Not that they wouldn't have without promising Maura. All three of them had wanted Jane safe and out of trouble.

"I will," she answered. Standing up she finished the call. "I'll let you know if I find Price. Thanks."

Disconnecting the call she turned towards the yard. "Come on Jo, time to head in." Looking down at Bass she commented, "You too. I should have told you to head in while I was on the phone with Frost. Shake a leg big guy, I've got somewhere I need to be." Jane walked into the house to change leaving the door open for Bass as he started to make his way back inside.

R&I

Jane knew there was only about a fifty-fifty chance that Amanda Price would be home when she knocked on the door. Truthfully, she calculated the odds to be even less than that considering they had absolutely no luck on this case to date. So, she was more than a little surprised when she heard movement and noise after she knocked on apartment 317. She was even more surprised when the door opened and a woman stood in the doorway.

"Can I help you?" she asked.

Jane took in her features for a moment and knew she had seen the woman before. Not in person but in a photograph. On the Phoenix Foundation's website. Only the caption under that photograph did not identify her as Amanda Price.

"Amanda Price?" Jane asked as she flashed her badge to the woman and waited for a response.

"Yeah?" she confirmed now looking a little startled. Jane wasn't sure if that was because of the badge or another reason.

"I'm Detective Rizzoli," Jane announced. "I need to speak with you for a few minutes." Jane had learned long ago never to actually ask a person 'if' they could speak. It was better to 'tell' the person that they were going to talk. She found much less resistance with that method.

Amanda looked at Jane and down at the badge and then back up to Jane again. After a few moments she stepped aside and let Jane into her apartment. Once the door was closed she asked. "What's this about?"

Jane moved a little further into the apartment but not too far. It wasn't right to simply barge all the way into someone's personal space. Jane didn't intrude. She inched, ever so slowly while talking, further and further into an apartment or home if she wanted to have a long conversation.

"For starters," Jane decided to throw out simply because she wanted to get a read on Price, "we need to discuss why you are pictured as 'Ashley Knight' on the Phoenix Foundation's Board of Trustees website."

It was a good move to throw out a warning shot to an interview subject that there were things she already knew. Never the big things. It was a bad move to lead with the biggest thing you knew. It was best to start with something small. Something only mildly connected to what you really wanted to discuss. But just enough to set a tone. And the tone Jane was setting with Amanda Price that she wasn't playing around.

They stood staring at each other for a moment. Jane was the master of the stare down. Her first challenge had been thrown out and she was just waiting to see just how unsettled it made Price.

Very was the answer to that.

It didn't take long before Jane got her first read on Price. Her shoulders immediately slumped and she dropped her eye contact with Jane.

"How much do you know?" Price asked.

"Enough," Jane pushed back. She wasn't ready to share all her information yet. "I'd like to understand your role in all of this."

Price released a sigh and seemed to be debating what her next move should be. This was usually a critical moment in an interview. If Jane pushed too hard Amanda would clam up and could even lawyer up. If she didn't push enough, Amanda could believe Jane was bluffing and not offer up any information. It was a fine line to walk but Jane walked it well.

Jane sensed she just needed one more push to get Amanda to start talking. She she gave it her best shot. "Amanda, I know you aren't the mastermind behind the con. I want to believe you just handled the money and you weren't involved in all of the rest of it but I'm going to need you to really talk to me about what has happened." Again, just enough of a nudge to let Amanda know she wasn't bluffing but without any detail to tip her hand on what details she did or didn't know.

"I swear, I just handled the money," she said.

And just like that, Jane had her.

"Ok, let's sit down," Jane said nodding towards chairs in the dining area. Amanda nodded and moved towards a chair sitting before Jane sat down. "Let's start from the beginning. How did you get involved in all of this?"

Open-ended, vague questions. Jane needed Amanda to fill in a lot of blanks for her.

"Kevin," she answered. Jane stayed quiet as her hint that more detail was needed. "Kevin and I dated all through college. The relationship ended but we remained friends. I was an accounting major and he was a business communications major. About three months after we graduated I still hadn't found a job. Kevin came to see me and said he had an opportunity for me."

Jane nodded understandingly. "Did you know from the beginning that things were fraudulent?"

Amanda sighed and nodded her head. "Kevin was upfront with me. He told me about Jacob and how he was recruited. We were both in the same boat. Deep in debt and desperate. Kevin promised a lot of money and all I needed to do was handle the books, spread out the money to keep it from being traced back to Jacob and just keep my mouth shut."

So Denton recruited Lansing Jane made as a mental note. That answered one of her many questions. Now she needed to try to extract some details about how the cons worked.

"Was the con always the same or did it change over time?" she asked. Again, she was looking for some details.

"It changed to suit the target," she answered. "Once Jacob would identify the target he would figure out the best charity or nonprofit angle to play and design everything based on that. Once he got the shell in place it was up to Kevin to run the con," she said looking at Jane.

Again, another question answered for Jane. Now she wanted confirmation of something else. "So this version of the Phoenix Foundation claimed a specialization for kids experiencing significant loss. That was as a specific response to Gina Franklin being Denton's target?"

"Yes," Amanda answered. "Jacob felt portraying the foundation as a nonprofit grief and support organization would appeal to Gina given her close relationship with Eric."

"Did Kevin always use the relationship angle during his cons?" Jane asked. Clearly if they had targeted Gina from the outset his 'relationship' with her was part of the con.

"Not always. But more often than not that was his way in with the target. There were times that the age difference between them would be too big so he would have to try to get close in a different way or play off the philanthropical needs of the non-profit shell. But the casanova play was his best move. Kevin was a good looking guy and he could be quite the charmer when he wanted to be. He never had any issues with getting his targets to trust him. Several even fell in love with him."

"Did you ever participate in any aspect of the cons outside of handling the money?" Jane was curious.

"No," she answered. "I laundered the money. That's all. I kept the money moving around and off the government's radar and as hidden as I could make it."

"Did you handle the website or the newsletters or anything to do with securing office space at all?" she asked wondering who exactly managed that part of the con.

"No, that was all Jacob. He designed the websites. He created the flyers and blog posts. He handled the office space and hiring the temp answering service. It didn't happen often but if actors were needed to assist in hooking the target Jacob handled all of that."

"How did Denton select his targets?" she asked.

"I don't know," Amanda answered. "Kevin told me once he had some sort of access to trust fund information but what or how neither one of us seemed to know."

Jane shifted in her chair as she now needed to shift the conversation to Gina's murder. As interested as she was about the foundation and the fraud her bigger concern was Gina and what happened to her and if it was tied to just Lansing or was Denton involved.

"Amanda, what do you know about what happened to Gina?" she asked.

"Only what has been reported in the papers. That you think Kevin shot her. That you found the gun upstairs in his apartment," she said.

"Do you think Kevin shot Gina?" Jane asked.

"No," Amanda answered emphatically. "I've known Kevin for over five years. He's never been violent and he has never owned a gun. Kevin's best weapon was his charm. He may have been dishonest and he was a thief but he's no killer."

"Where were you…" Jane started but was interrupted by Amanda.

"I was in California when Gina, Eric and Kevin were all killed. It was my mother's birthday and I had flown home to see her. I didn't return until three days after all of that happened. By then, Jacob was already working on dismantling the office and was shutting down the operation."

Jane knew she could verify Amanda's flight information so she focused in on Denton. "You say he was dismantling the operation. What does that mean?"

"As soon as I returned from California he had me set up two new accounts with money transfers from several of the existing accounts. He was consolidating the money. I know he shredded any of the hard copies of flyers or portfolios for the Phoenix Foundation. He was informed the landlord the space would be available at the end of the month. And he was making inquiries into properties in Florida. Plus, I was released from my duties after I handled the last of the money transfers."

"Do you know where Denton is right now?" Jane asked.

Amanda shook her head. "No. I haven't seen him since he let me go which was four days ago. The cell phone number I had for him is no longer in service. I'm pretty certain he isn't in Boston anymore."

"Do you think Denton had anything to do with Gina's death?" Jane asked.

"It's possible. I have no real idea but Jacob is capable of something like that," she answered.

"Why do you say that?" she asked.

"Because he has a temper. That, I've seen first hand. When Jacob gets mad he gets violent. He's hit me twice," she said as she dropped her eyes from Jane when she admitted that. "Slaps across the face. I've seen him push Kevin a few times. And Kevin told me that Jacob hit Gina once too."

"Do you know when that happened?" Jane asked somewhat surprised to hear that.

"About two weeks before she was shot. Kevin told me she was having second thoughts about giving Jacob access to her trust accounts. Kevin felt like it was just nerves and he thought he could still handle her but Jacob found out she was reconsidering the changes and he lost his temper. Kevin said he slapped her but I don't know if he did more than that."

Jane shifted her conversation with Amanda back to her role with handling the money. She asked several questions about the ledgers she found on Kevin's PC and Amanda walked Jane through her process of moving the money around. Finally, Jane felt she had gotten as much detail from Amanda as she could.

Jane was not technically at Amanda's apartment in an official capacity. Considering she was on a leave, she could not bring Amanda into the station. Nor was fraud really anything that she had a responsibilty for investigating. It was clear to her that the fraud part of this investigation would need to be turned over to the white collar crime division. Given the nature of the fraud it could most likely end up becoming a federal investigation.

"Amanda, I appreciate your candor," Jane started indicating that she had asked everything she planned on asking.

"What happens now?" Amanda asked.

"Now, you will be considered a person of interest in an ongoing investigation," Jane answered. Seeing the confused look on Amanda's face Jane explained. "The scope of this investigation has not been completely defined. At this time, you are not being arrested. However, being designated a person of interest means that you can expect further inquiries from Boston PD and the District Attorney's office.

"The District Attorney's office will be in touch with you as investigation continues. Our requests of you is that you do not discuss this investigation with anyone and that you do not leave town without informing the DA's office of your intent to do so." Both requests were slightly a bluff. Jane had no arrest warrant and this was an unofficial investigation. The best she could do was try to scare Price into not skipping town.

Amanda simply nodded her head. Jane stood up and headed for the door. Before she left she pulled out her card and handed it over to Amanda. "If Denton happens to contact you, please let me know." Amanda took Jane's card and nodded again.

"Detective," Amanda said before Jane left. "I understand that what I was a part of was wrong. I know there's a price I will need to pay for that. But," she said and paused for a minute, "Kevin's not a killer. He was wrong in what he did but I knew him. He wasn't capable of killing anyone."

Jane just nodded and left the apartment. Jane got into her car and grabbed her phone.

_Found Price. Lunch at the Robber? -J_

She waited a few minutes until her phone buzzed. Frost was the one to reply which didn't surprised Jane since Vince generally hated texting.

_We can get away in 20. See you there. -F_


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter Twenty Two

"Maura," Angela greeted with a smile as the ME entered the Division One cafe. She was a little surprised Maura had come into work. She knew Jane was trying to talk Maura into taking a couple of days off. "I thought you'd still be taking some time off."

Maura smiled at Angela. "Jane wanted me to," she started. "But there's too much going on here. Two of my techs are out sick and I need to make sure there's not a back up in the lab." She walked closer to the counter.

"You should still take time if you need it," Angela replied not hiding the concern she had for Maura.

"I haven't worked in four days," Maura pointed out. "That was sufficient time off."

Angela, knowing she wasn't going to make any headway with the woman she claimed as a daughter conceded. "So, the usual?" she asked.

"Please," Maura replied knowing the tea would help relax her.

"Go sit and I'll bring it out for you. Do you want something to eat?" she asked.

"No thank you," Maura replied as she made her way to a table. She knew Angela would bring out the tea and she hoped she would sit and talk with her for a minute. She really did miss talking with people throughout the day and had found that since Jane went on leave she just didn't seem to interact with anyone when at work.

A few moments later Angela brought over Maura's tea and moved to sit. "How are you?" she asked the ME with concern.

Maura was still trying to process all that Hope had shared with her from the day before and she wasn't ready to let Angela, or anyone else really, even know about the interaction yet. She thought about how best to answer Angela so she wouldn't break out in hives. "It's a lot to process." That comment was true. She just wasn't going to let Angela know she was processing all that Hope had said more than Patrick's guilty plea decision at the moment.

Angela reached out and took one of Maura's hands into hers. "You know I'm here for you if you need anything."

Maura smiled. "I know. Thank you," she said but she didn't want to talk about any of it in that moment. "Right now, I just need some time to really work through how I feel about everything." And that was true too. Again more about Hope than Patrick.

She knew Patrick deserved to be in prison. That was where he belonged. That wasn't what she needed to work through. What she needed to work through was everything Hope had told her yesterday. For that, she knew talking to Angela or anyone other than Jane, wasn't what she needed. What she needed was time.

Some of what Hope had revealed to Maura she understood. But some of what was said still did not completely answer her lingering questions. Questions about Hope's behavior when they first met and the things Hope chose to do and say still haunted Maura. She understood and could accept how things transpired with Hope right up until Patrick's shooting at the warehouse.

But after that, after the media attention and the outing of Maura as Doyle's daughter, she was having a harder time reconciling Hope's words of regret and contrition with she actions and her decisions. While some decisions did seem to be made for Hope in the beginning of the saga that this had all become, the decisions made that impacted Maura over the last year were Hope's and Hope's alone.

And each and every one of those choices had hurt Maura. Hope had a track record of deliberately hurting Maura and seemingly choosing the needs of Cailin over her needs. And to Maura, her needs were not great. She wasn't demanding anything more from Hope than common courtesy and the chance for them to at least try to get to know each other. But to that point, Hope seemed to find ways to keep that from happening.

She didn't know what she was going to do. She knew she needed time to think. She knew she needed to spend some of that time talking things out with Jane. Jane was better at understanding the nuances of human interactions than Maura. Maura always found that Jane had a way of helping Maura see things from sometimes a different perspective than her usual logical one.

She would take the time she needed. She understood that the next move with Hope was hers to make. What, exactly, that move would be was just something Maura was not prepared to decide yet.

Angela, who had stepped away from Maura to help a customer, returned and again sat down across from the ME. Maura seemed deep in thought when she had returned. "Maura?" she asked quietly almost afraid to startle her.

Maura, hearing Angela's voice, was pulled from her thoughts. "Yes?" she said now returning her attention to the Rizzoli matriarch.

"Are you sure you are ok?" she asked again unable to hide her concern.

Maura sighed and again needed to figure out the best way to answer Angela. "I will be," was the best she could offer.

Angela nodded. She was worried about Maura and sensed there was something more going on with her than she seemed willing to share. But the last thing she wanted to do was cause Maura any stress so she decided to change the topic of conversation to her other source of concern. "Maura, can I ask you something?"

"Sure," Maura answered.

"How's Jane really doing?" she asked and didn't hide the concern that now filled her eyes.

"Her shoulder is healing. She is supposed learn if she can stop wearing the arm sling tomorrow which will allow for more rigorous physical therapy since they can now work on range of motion," Maura said.

"No," Angela replied. "Not her arm, although I am glad that is healing. I meant how is she really doing. I'm worried about her."

"She's working through something," Maura admitted. She now knew Angela was talking more about Jane's mental health than her physical health. "This whole incident threw her and I don't think she has processed everything yet. She told me the two of you talked the other day."

Angela nodded. "We did. She feels bad about me seeing her get shot." Angela couldn't help but cringe as a flash of the shooting crossed her mind.

"She told me," Maura said. This time it was her turn to take Angela's hand. "I've been so wrapped up in the trial I haven't even asked you lately how you are handling everything."

"I'm doing better. The first few nights after it happened I kept having nightmares about it," she dropped her eyes from Maura and seemed unwilling to go into any details about those dreams. "But, those have stopped. I still have flashes from time to time when I first walk into the cafe. I never want to have to see something like that ever again."

Maura squeezed her hand. "It's hard watching someone you love get hurt." Both women let the silence fill the moment as they had now both been in the position to be a sideline observer of a terrible incident with Jane. Jane had been right. It was one thing to be there for the aftermath but something completely different when witnessed live.

"Is she going to come back?" Angela asked after a few moments. "I've never seen her so undecided about her life." Jane always knew what she wanted for her life and she just went after it. With a level of confidence and determination that Angela had always admired. But for the first time, Angela saw doubt and uncertainty in her daughter. And that scared her. She was concerned that Jane seemed to have lost her way.

"Angela, I just don't know," Maura gave as an honest answer. "I don't know because she doesn't even know yet."

"How can she not know? All she has ever wanted to be was a cop and she's a damn good one. Does she just not to do it anymore?" Angela seemed genuinely confused.

Maura sighed, She really didn't know how to answer Angela exactly. "Angela, understand that while Jane and I have talked about some of her concerns, we haven't talked about them all. She's having a hard time verbalizing her hesitation not only to me but within herself. For me to say anything at all right now it would be pure speculation."

"Maura, I know how much you hate to guess at anything, but I'm asking you. Please. I want to understand what is happening with Jane. Even if it is a guess, you know her better than any person in her life. You know her better than she knows herself. So your 'guess' matters and means something. Please." Angela wasn't against pleading if she thought Maura had any insight into what was really going on with Jane.

Maura looked at Angela and she heart broke a bit. Angela and Jane were actually really close and their relationship was strong. While they easily got on each other's nerves Maura knew that was simply because their personalities were more alike than either woman wanted to admit. She hated to guess at anything but looking at Angela in that moment, she knew there was no way she couldn't at least give the concerned mother her opinion.

"I don't think it's a matter of her not wanting to continue the work she does. I think what she is struggling with is the reality of what continuing to do that work could eventually cost." That was the best Maura could really come up with what Jane might be struggling with.

She saw the look on Jane's face when she was going through the files last night. Just as she saw the spark in Jane's eyes anytime Jane was talking about the case whether she was trying to theorize about what had happened or simply reciting known facts. The determination to investigate and find answers was still there. That determination have never left Jane. She was almost certain that it wasn't that Jane just didn't want to do the job anymore. Instead, she wondered if Jane was trying to figure out if the job was worth the continued risk to herself and those around her.

"Cost?" Angela asked unsure what Maura meant by that.

"Jane's job takes a toll on her. Both physically and emotionally. The stress. The uncertainty. The injuries. For her to continue to do what she loves it will come at a price. You know her as well as I do Angela. If it was something that would just affect her and her alone she wouldn't be struggling with any decision. She would just simply continue.

"But Jane's job takes a toll on the people who love her too. And Jane knows others have to carry some of that burden if her choice is to continue. You. Me. Her brothers. Even Constance. Anyone really who cares about her has added worry. When you saw her get shot that just reminded her of how much what happens to her affects the rest of us. I think that's what is holding her back."

"I've never liked what she chose to do but I'd never ask her to stop doing what she loves," Angela said. "Not if it makes her happy."

"I know that and Jane knows that too. I don't think it is specifically about what we can or can't handle. I think it's about what Jane can or can't ask us to handle. She told me you said she was living the life she was meant to live. And she knows I support whatever it is she wants to do. I think," Maura said trying to figure out the best way to phrase what she was thinking, "Jane is trying to decide if the work still does make her happy enough to justify our added burden. She doesn't like knowing we carry a part of her uncertainty and risk and I believe she trying to decide if it's truly worth what it may cost the rest of us."

Angela thought about that for a moment. It did seem to make sense. She had never seen such a look of guilt from Jane as when she was trying to apologize to her for having to witness the shooting. Jane seemed to care more about her reaction to it than her own physical health. "What do you think she will do?" Angela asked.

"When it comes to that I can't say," she said. "But I think when the time is right for her she will know the answer and it will all take care of itself." Whatever decision Jane ultimately made would be the right one.

Angela thought about that for a moment. "I hope so," was all she added before she had to get up and help a customer.

R&I

It was Jane's turn to order Frost and Korsak's usual from the Robber as she waited for them to join her for lunch. She sat somewhat impatiently waiting for them so she could tell them both what Amanda Price had to say.

"Jane," Korsak said as her two partners walked up to the table. "Sorry we are a little late. An interview ran long."

Jane smiled. "That's alright. I've ordered for us so the food should be there soon."

"How's the shoulder?" Frost asked as he sat down across from Jane.

"I get paroled from the sling tomorrow so that will be an improvement," she said and smiled. She was sick of being one armed if for no other reason than she felt unable to truly hug or hold the woman she loved and that was just unacceptable.

"Excellent," Frost said returning the smile. All three were quiet for a minute. All three waiting to see if someone would acknowledge the elephant in the room. No one did.

"So," Korsak said ending the silence. "What did you find out?"

The waitress brought out the three orders of hamburger and fries and all three eat while Jane recapped the progress that had been made in the investigation. She first explained what she and Maura found in the file folders from Lansing's PC and then she told them about her conversation with Amanda Price.

"So Denton was the ringleader for the con," Korsak noted.

"It appears that way. From what Amanda said he picked the target and crafted the non-profit or charity shell. He designed the websites and pamphlets. He managed all the overhead. It was up to Kevin to work the target usually by playing the romance card." Jane looked at both men in front of her. "Given everything Amanda told me it looks like there is plenty for the DA to building a conspiracy and fraud by means of deception case against Denton."

"But," Frost started after he recognized the look that was on his partner's face.

"But not murder," Jane frowned as she replied. "We don't have that and quite honestly I'm not sure we will ever get it. Amanda claims she was in California when the shooting happened which is an alibi you guys can check out but I believe her. We are back to where we started. No tangible witness to Gina's shooting."

"We just may never know," Korsak nodded and had to admit was a real possibility.

"Even if Amanda testified that Denton has a temper and has hit people that's not enough to go after him for murder," Jane acknowledged.

"Do you think he did it?" Korsak asked Jane.

"I don't know. I've never even had a chance to talk to the man." She usually liked to try to get a read on someone before making a gut claim about guilt or innocence. "But, it was Denton's name that Gina wanted to add to the trusts not Lansing's. And according to Gina's lawyer she changed her mind about letting that happen. For whatever reason she was going to say no to Denton.

"According to Price it was Denton who hit Gina not Lansing. Right at the time Gina apparently had changed her mind about the trust." She turned to look at Korsak. "Don't forget what Eric told both you and me. He didn't like Lansing because he let 'them' hurt Gina. Not 'he' hurt Gina. 'Them'." Jane paused before adding, "My gut tells me Jacob Denton had everything to do with Gina's murder."

Vince nodded. "If their whole plan was to gain access to her money and she was changing her mind that could have been all it took to anger Denton enough to react. But without a witness, we are back to square one."

"So, what next?" Frost asked.

Korsak looked over to Jane. Jane knew the look and actually had a similar one herself. "We turn this over to White Collar," Vince said.

"But," Frost started but Jane stopped him.

"Vince is right. Everything we have found for this case is all related to fraud. And it's big enough with enough money that White Collar will take it and probably even fight to keep it from the Feds. The ledgers and Amanda alone are enough to go after Denton. I'm sure the DA will offer up Amanda a deal if she cooperates and if she does they will be able to trace all the money and identify all the other victims as well. Maura and I added up over $5 million dollars in deposits into various accounts over six years."

"And Gina Franklin?" Frost asked.

"We don't have enough to go after Denton," Jane said. "Not for murder. No eye witness. No connection to the murder weapon. We haven't even figured out if he has an alibi or not. Maybe he paid someone to take Gina out and set up Lansing. Maybe he did it himself. But maybe it was Lansing all along and Denton didn't have anything to do with it. We just don't know and I don't see that changing."

"So we go with what we know we have," Vince added. "We turn this over for prosecution on the conspiracy and fraud. Let White Collar go after Denton. They can freeze his accounts. They can seize his assets. They have what is needed to bring the man in and stop him from going after his next target."

The three were quiet for a few minutes. Each letting the reality of where they were at with the case settle. It wasn't the resolution any of them had wanted. Any time they had a murder and they couldn't definitively close the case they always felt like they had failed. Failed the victim. Failed justice. Failed each other and failed themselves.

"I'm sorry," Jane finally offered up to both the men sitting across from her. She had wanted to find Gina's killer. For Vince. For Eric. For herself. She knew she helped identify the 'probable' killer but that just wasn't good enough.

"Jane," Vince said and looked straight at her. "Don't." They stared at each other for a minute neither flinching. "You know sometimes we just hit a wall. That's nothing you did. Don't discount the fact that it was you that figured out the possible connection to the Phoenix Foundation. That was you. We wouldn't have figured that out. We may not have Denton for murder but we have him dead to rights for fraud and that means he won't walk away from this."

Silence settled amongst the partners again for a moment. It still wasn't the resolution they wanted but all three understood they were at an end. Eventually the table came alive with conversation again. Only this time nothing having to do with work. As the three finished their lunch, they found solace in each other's company with all three coming to a realization of just how much they missed spending time together.

R&I

As Vince and Frost were heading towards their car to return to the station, Vince's phone vibrated from an incoming message.

_Could you come down to see me when you return to the station? -M_

He read the text from Maura and responded immediately.

_Returning now. I will be down when we get back. -V_

He got into the car wondering what Maura needed.

R&I

Vince knocked lightly on Maura's office door and waited for her to greet him.

"Vince," she said with a smile as he entered the office. "Thank you for coming down."

"No problem," he said. "What can I do for you?" he asked.

"I'm hoping I can get your help with something," she replied. She saw him nod his willingness to assist and she explained what she needed.

When she was done, he simply smiled. "I'm sure you are right. And yes, I can get you what you need. It may take me a little time but I will have it all for you."

"Thanks Vince," she said with a smile.

R&I

As Maura entered the house she was first greeted by the aroma of what she was sure was to be dinner and second by a very happy dog excited to see that she was home. "Hey Jo," she said as she lowered herself to let Jo get a proper greeting. She let the dog get in a few good licks before straightening up and heading further into the house.

She thought she would find Jane in the kitchen finishing up dinner but Jane wasn't there. She smiled as she saw Bass was making his way towards her to welcome her home as well. She grabbed a strawberry from the refrigerator and spent a few minutes with him as he snacked. Having spent some time with both kids, she again set out to find her girlfriend whom she had yet to greet properly.

"Ja…," she went to call out only to find Jane's arm wrapping itself around her waist and Jane's lips lightly ghosting across the side of her neck. She was surprised Jane had been able to sneak up on her but she certainly didn't object to her sudden presence. Maura leaned back into Jane and sighed, "Hi," she said.

"Hi," Jane answered back. They just held their position for a moment. "How was your day?" Jane asked as she again ghosted her lips against Maura's neck.

The feel of Jane's lips lightly caressing her neck made her shiver. "Quiet," she finally managed to answer.

Jane released her arm from Maura's waist and Maura assumed Jane was breaking their embrace. Instead, Jane used her free hand to push Maura's hair away from her neck giving her more exposure to an area she seemed determined to give attention. She worked her lips slowly against Maura's skin pausing only once to make a comment. "It's only quiet because I'm not there to distract you."

Maura sighed as Jane's lips moved their way across her neck. Jane's sudden attention was making it hard for her to think about anything. Not that she was complaining. "You seem to be making up for that now," she said. Giving in to a growing desire for the woman standing behind her she turned into Jane and let her lips find Jane's for the first time.

The kiss was immediately deep and passionate. Maura ran her tongue across Jane's bottom lip making a request Jane had no intention of denying. They both let themselves get lost in the kiss and each other. It wasn't hurried but it was full of want. Only a need for oxygen seemed to pull them apart. Jane rested her forehead against Maura's as they both worked air back into their lungs.

As their breathing started to even out Jane slowly raised her free hand and let it go to work on the buttons of Maura's blouse. One by one Jane and her one hand managed to get through the task without assistance from Maura.

"You're getting better at that," Maura commented with a sly grin. She released a sudden sigh as Jane's fingers slowly traced across her now exposed stomach and worked their way towards her breast as she gently cupped her before going in for another searing kiss.

"Like I said, one good hand and pure determination," she whispered as their second passion filled kiss came to an end.

Maura, not wanting to be outdone by Jane's advances but not able to quickly remove Jane's shirt settled for the next best option as she started to undo Jane's belt. "Dinner?" she asked quietly.

"Can so wait," Jane replied returning her attention to Maura's lips. A soft moan from Maura became her only indication that she agreed with that idea.

Dinner could definitely wait.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter Twenty Three

Jane was slow to get out of her car. As she opened her car door she mumbled a few obscenities under her breath and one very damning expletive condemning the entire physical therapy profession. She thought today was going to be a good day. A day she was supposed to lose the arm sling and maybe start to at least get some use of her right hand back.

She lost the sling. That much was true. But Jane didn't factor in the exercises that the physical therapist insisted on putting her through. What the physical therapist called range of motion baseline tests Jane called legalized torture. How her therapist did her job and was still able to sleep at night was now beyond Jane's understanding.

Jane made her way into the house still grumbling under her breath as the ache in her shoulder had not improved since she escaped the sinister clutches of the therapist. She had barely managed to register that Maura's car was in the driveway. If she hadn't been so focused on creating inventive names to call her physical therapist during her next appointment she would have realized that Maura was home earlier than normal.

But instead of making this observation, she merely entered the house through the side door and made her way straight into the family room. If her shoulder hadn't hurt so much she would have flopped down onto the couch. But she seemed to understand the act of flopping would send a jolt to her shoulder she just couldn't take in that moment. So instead, she gently eased herself down onto the couch, leaning back against it and let her head come to rest hanging just slightly over the back of the cushion.

She closed her eyes and released a heavy sigh. Within a matter of moments Jane heard the quick pitter patter of paws running across the family room. As much as she knew she should lift up her head to watch what would be Jo's flight path when she made the jump from the floor onto the couch, she was just too tired to do so. She merely moved her good arm up slightly to protect her injured side in case the pup launched herself closer into Jane than she wanted.

Jo made it up onto the couch but didn't get close enough to Jane's shoulder to inflict any pain. Jane lowered her protective arm and found the top of Jo's head to scratch. As if sensing that a complete mulling of Jane might not be a good idea, Jo settled down rather quickly and seemed content to just lay down across Jane's lap to get the area behind her ear scratched some more.

It took feeling a pair of lips lightly being pressed against her own to get the detective to open her eyes. She suddenly wondered what the ME was doing home already. As her eyes opened and focused she had the gorgeous smiling face of Maura leaning over her from the other side of the couch. Despite her mood and the pain she felt in her shoulder, she had to smile at the beauty leaning over her.

Seeing Jane react to her quick greeting, Maura leaned down for one more quick kiss before straightening up. "Should I ask how your session went?" she asked as she moved around to sit next to Jane on the couch. Jane's answer came simply in the form of a groan. Maura tried not to grin. "That well huh?"

"Why does something that is supposed to help me have to hurt so much?" Jane asked quietly as she finally lifted up her head from the back of the couch so she could look at Maura.

"J, it's the therapist's job to start to help you with strengthening the muscles that have been damaged," Maura started.

Jane saw the glint in Maura's eyes and before she could start naming shoulder muscles or giving the history of physical therapy she tried an intervention. "I know, I know. I have to work on strengthening the super-spinster and the inferior-spinster muscles."

Maura couldn't keep from giggling. "Supraspinatus and Infraspinatus muscles," she corrected. "And I would assume she mentioned the Teres Major and Minor as well."

"Sounds familiar," Jane answered not hiding her pout.

"Well, I don't see the arm brace so she must have decided that you were ready to do without the immobilizer," Maura pointed out. "What else did she say?"

"That she was going to make my life a living hell for the next few months," Jane whined.

"She did not say that," Maura admonished as she again tried not to smile. She didn't like that Jane was in pain but the woman was just adorable when she was pouting about something.

"Maybe not in words," Jane admitted. "But I saw the look in her eyes. I think she's evil."

"Jane," Maura admonished. "What did she actually say?"

Jane sighed realizing she wasn't going to be able to get Maura to believe that her physical therapist was in fact evil. "Ice packs alternating with heat pad, advil to help with discomfort and a series of stretching exercises to do at night and in the morning," she gave in and told Maura what she really wanted to know. "And just a regular sling if my shoulder gets tired or if we go somewhere that I could get accidentally bumped into."

"It will get better each time you go," Maura reminded Jane. Jane was not a stranger to the physical therapy process.

"How many more sessions before it just doesn't hurt anymore?" Jane mumbled. Again, she caught the look in Maura's eyes and again wasn't in the mood for a Maura explanation of her therapy schedule. "Nevermind," she said hoping to stop Maura before she started. "It will take as long as it takes."

Maura nodded sympathetically. "You've been through therapy before. Just do the stretches and don't overexert yourself and you will stay on schedule."

They sat on the couch quietly for a few minutes. Jane pouting. Maura watching Jane pout. It was Jane who broke the relaxed silence. "I did get released for desk duty," she said quietly.

Maura didn't immediately respond to that statement. Instead, she just continued to sit next to Jane. The silence settled back between them. After another few minutes Maura reached out and took Jane's left hand in hers. Jane looked down at their interlaced fingers and then up into the gorgeous hazel green that was patiently awaiting her. And still, neither said anything.

Finally Maura stood up but refused to release Jane's hand from hers. She shifted to stand in front of Jane and gently pulled on Jane's arm to get her to stand up. Jane, a little confused, found herself complying with Maura's request as she slowly, carefully stood up. Still not saying anything, Maura started to lead Jane towards the stairs.

Jane followed but felt the need to break the silence with a warning. "M, I love you but I am way too sore and too tired for this."

Maura snickered, "I love you too. But I have something else in mind right now." She didn't elaborate any further.

At the top of the stairs Jane was surprised they didn't turn to go into the bedroom. Instead, Maura seemed to be leading her down the hall towards the space they shared as an office. "Maura?" Jane asked looking for some clarification as to why they seemed to be going this way.

Maura didn't say anything but just kept moving towards the office. It wasn't until she entered the office that she stopped walking and turned to face Jane. But she didn't say anything. Instead, she wanted to watch Jane's reaction to what Maura had set up in the office.

Jane's first reaction was to just stop and stare. Her eyes drifted all around as she tried to first take in what she was looking at and then make some sense of why she was looking at it. She found herself slowly turning around in circles realizing as she spun that she was completely surrounded.

Surrounded by pictures and images Maura had pinned up on all four walls of the office. Pictures were everywhere. As Jane turned around and around she couldn't seem to find an empty space on any wall she looked at. And slowly, she started to recognize the images in the photos. At first just one or two. Not enough to have what all of this was make any sense but as she stopped spinning and really just started to take in the images she finally realized what she was looking at.

"This is what makes it all worth it," Maura spoke for the first time since bringing Jane into the office. "And J, it is worth it."

Jane wanted to look at Maura but found she gaze was transfixed at all the images surrounding her.

Maura continued. "What you do, what you are so very good at, is important. It matters. It mattered to all these families."

Maura, with the help of Vince, had gathered photos from all of Jane's previous cases. Photos of the victims. Photos of victims with their families and friends. Candid shots taken prior to whatever had occurred that pulled Jane into their lives. Vince had found several case files where family members had even sent in personal letters of praise or a thank you to Jane for all she had done.

Everything Vince had been able to find, Maura had put up on the walls. She wanted Jane to understand the number of lives she had touched. The number of families she had helped by finding closure. The countless number of families and friends she helped simply by listening and trying to bring a resolution to a case. The people who were still alive because Jane had saved them.

As Jane continued to look at the photos Maura again spoke. "I know that you are worried about how we handle the dangers and uncertainty that comes with your job. I know you worry that you don't have the right to put that burden on us."

For the first time since walking into the office Jane stopped looking at the photos and looked right at Maura. "How…?" she started.

"Because I know you too J," Maura answered back without hesitation. "I may not understand absolutely everything that has been troubling you since you got shot but I knew part of what you were struggling with was trying to decide if it is worth putting us through the chance of another injury."

This time Maura stopped to look at all of the photos hanging on the walls for a few minutes before continuing to speak. "I will never like that your job puts you in danger. I will never like that your job has caused injuries to your body and your soul. I will certainly never like this is not going to be the last time you get hurt doing your job. I will always worry about you when you leave my sight as you go out and do your job. But Jane, I will never, ever want you not to do your job.

"The people in your life who love you understand how important your job is. Not just important to you but important to the people you have helped and who you are meant to help in the future. We all understand. We all accept the uncertainty. We all accept the concern and the fear and the worry. Because we all love you and we all accept what you do. We all understand you are doing exactly what you were meant to do."

Jane continued to stare at Maura, "Maura…." she started but stopped. She was having a hard time with the emotions that were coursing through her. She wasn't quite sure how to respond.

"If you are done because you no longer want to do this then I absolutely support that decision and I would advise you not to return to work. But if you hesitating about going back only because of concerns about me, or your mother, or my mother, or your brothers then I need you to hear me when I say that's not a good enough reason to keep you from the job. What you do matters and it will matter to so many more people than just the ones who are surrounding you right now."

With that, Maura walked up to Jane and kissed her gently. "It's worth it J," she added before she walked out of the office leaving Jane alone to stare at the hundreds of faces whose lives had intersected with hers at some point during her storied career.

R&I

Three days later Jane found herself knocking on the guesthouse door. Angela seemed genuinely surprised that it was Jane who was knocking but she stepped aside and let Jane enter. "I didn't want to interrupt you and Sean," Jane said explaining the knock on the front door.

"We are just watching a movie Jane," Angela informed her daughter.

"When it comes to you and my boss," Jane said with a smile, "I'm always going to error on the side of caution." Both women laughed. "Do you mind if I talk to him for a minute?" Jane asked.

"Of course not," Angela said. "He's in the living room."

Jane nodded and started to head in that direction. She noticed, and appreciated, that Angela turned to go into the kitchen instead of following Jane into the living room. Once she made it into the living room she saw her boss seating comfortably on the couch.

"Jane," he said looking up a bit surprised to see her over at the guesthouse.

"I'm sorry to interrupt but I was hoping to talk to you for just a minute," Jane said and she sat down in a chair across from Sean.

"Sure," he said. "What's up?"

"I'd like to come back to work on Monday," Jane said.

Sean had to fight with all his strength not to let a huge smile spread across his face. Instead, he stared straight at Jane and took her in for a few moments. "You know your release is for desk duty only," he said,

"I know," Jane replied.

"You know that means paperwork. Lots and lots of paperwork," he said.

"I know," Jane replied again.

"And that if you come back I don't want to spend the next month listening to you bitch and moan about the fact that you are stuck doing nothing but paperwork," he said and let a small smile finally come out.

"I'll behave," she said returning his smile.

He was quiet for a moment. He was very well aware of the fact that Jane had seriously considered not returning this time. "And you are sure that this is what you want to do?" he asked. He needed to see her reaction to that.

Without hesitation, Jane answered. "Yes, Sir." It was a strong, definitive answer.

It sold Sean immediately. "Monday morning," he said.

Jane smiled. "Thank you," she said. She stood to leave not wanting to continue her interruption of his night with her mother.

As she was just about to the living room entryway Sean called out. "Jane?"

She stopped and turned to him. "Yes?"

"Be prepared to give an entire recap of your investigation to Jefferson in White Collar," he said.

"Sir?" Jane tried to play off what she knew was about to come.

"Nice try Rizzoli," he smiled. "But I think we both know who figured out Denton's possible involvement in the Franklin case. Not to mention the entire non-profit fraud."

"Sir," she went to try to explain.

"Frost is good. And so is Vince but that had you written all over it," he fired at her as he winked. "Just be ready to help Jefferson with some details. It looks like they are going to be able to freeze all of the accounts Price established and the Feds have agreed to help us try to locate him."

"I'll do whatever I can to help," she said. It didn't appear that he was going to be too mad about the fact that she may have done some work while on her medical leave.

"We are no longer prepared to close the Franklin case as resolved," he said. "It will remain open pending a continued investigation into Jacob Denton once he has been detained for fraud." Jane smiled. She hadn't expected him to keep the case open. "Oh and Jane?"

"Yes Sir," she replied.

"Desk duty means desk duty. No exceptions until you are fully released."

Jane smiled again. "Yes Sir." And with that she left the house.

R&I

As Jane reentered the house she found herself suddenly forced up against the door and pulled into a passionate kiss from Maura. The greeting surprised her but as soon as she recovered from the surprise she gave as good as she got.

"So?" Maura asked a little breathlessly after breaking the kiss but not letting Jane move from being pinned up against the door.

"Monday morning," Jane managed to answer.

A huge smile broke out across Maura's face and she decided to express her happiness with her lips. Her tongue. And as their second kiss deepened, her hands. All parts of Maura working to get as much contact with Jane as she could.

The kiss again eventually broke. "M?" Jane got out as her lungs tried to reacquire oxygen.

Maura pulled back from Jane only enough to really look her in the eyes. "We're celebrating," she whispered. "I want to test those range of motion exercises and that determination you seem so proud of."

Jane stared into the eyes of the woman she loved. "Is that a challenge Doctor Isles?" There was no denying the want to Jane's tone.

"Absolutely Detective Rizzoli," was Maura's only response as she went in for yet another kiss.

"I'll show you exactly what I can do," Jane whispered into Maura's ear as their third kiss came to an end. She then slowly pushed away from the door and started to maneuver Maura towards their bedroom.

**Thanks to everyone who read, followed, favorited or reviewed this story. It is always appreciated and continues to be a humbling experience.**


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